In This Endless Summer
by IWishIWasAMermaid
Summary: Summer. Eight weeks of no school, great waves, and a best friend to drive you everywhere. But Oliver insists that he isn't gonna do that. All the summer vacations before have been really boring... who's to say that this one will be any different? Loliver.
1. Hummer For The Summer

**I know you got the Hummer for the summer, baby**

"At last!" I sighed, as I collapsed into Oliver's car. It's still quite hard to believe that Oliver was the first one of us to get a car, especially seeing as Miley is actually a rich pop star. I mean, you'd think that the one with the most money, got the car first, right? It's only logical.

I'd called shotgun, and so Miley sat in the back. "Summer. Finally."

"Am I the only one that isn't looking forward to this summer vacation?" Oliver asked, getting into the car next to me.

I snapped my head to the side to look at him, then at Miley - who was looking equally as shocked - and then back at Oliver again. "What?"

"How can you not be looking forward to summer vacation?" Miley asked. "I love summer vacation."

I nodded my agreement.

"It isn't that I'm not looking forward to it, its that I know it's going to be the same as all other vacations," Oliver explained, and started up the car.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah Oliver. Eight weeks of no school, great waves, and a best friend to drive you everywhere. How will we survive?"

"I am not driving you everywhere," Oliver warned.

"Well, if you'd let me drive the car, then I'd drive you," I defended.

"If I let you drive the car, it wouldn't be a car for much longer," Oliver retorted.

"Was that a slam at my driving?" I don't see how Oliver can even insinuate that I'm a bad driver, when we both passed our tests first time.

Oliver winced. "Don't use the word 'slam' when talking about your driving, Lilly. It could mean bad karma or something."

"Slam, slam, slam, slam, slam," I said, leaning back and folding my arms.

It wasn't that we were fighting. We weren't. I don't think me and Oliver have had a proper fight in a while. Sometimes we have this verbal 'fight', that to anybody else would appear as an argument, but it isn't.

"Will you both just button it?" Miley asked. Needless to say, she gets annoyed when these verbal 'fights' begin. "Put on a decent radio station."

Oliver shook his head. "No way. It stays on this station."

"Oliver, you have a bad taste in music," I piped up, and then at Miley's glare hurriedly finished. "Except when you liked Hannah Montana. Obviously."

"It stays on this station," Oliver repeated.

I leaned forward, and reached for the button that changed the station. "Just let me -"

Oliver hit my hand away. "It stays, on this station."

Miley sighed. "Jeez, put on another record, will'ya?"

"Oliver, just let me change the station," I said, putting my hand forward again. Instead of merely hitting it away, he grabbed it, and held on. "Um... ouch much?"

"Keep your hands off the radio," he said, looking in my eyes, and speaking in his best 'threatening' voice.

I just stared back, willing my brain to think of some witty comeback. And I just knew that I'd be at home later, eating or something, and an amazingly brilliant line would come to me, and I'd wish to God that I'd thought of it earlier.

"Or what Captain Smokin'?" Miley laughed.

Oliver dropped my hand, and turned back to the road. I continued watching him for a few more seconds, and then turned round to face Miley. "I think we angered him."

She laughed. "I think we did."

"What is with this music though?" I asked her, and wrinkled my nose.

Miley shrugged. "I think my dad listens to it."

"Mine too," I agreed. "When he's in his 80s mood."

"Lilly, my dad is always in his 80s mood. The man thinks it's still the 80s," Miley stated, and I laughed. Miley's dad was cool,even if he was in a different era.

Oliver hadn't taken his gaze from the road, and I playfully poked him in the side. "Ollie, you okay?"

"Yeah. Just... concentrating on the road..." He turned right, and I saw he was taking us to Miley's house. Figures. We spent more time there than we did at mine and Oliver's put together.

"Don't concentrate too hard, boy," Miley giggled. "You might hurt yourself."

Oliver smiled painfully and nodded. "Thank you for that helpful input Miley."

"Wow. Sarcasm. You sure you're okay Oliver?" I asked, leaning forward to see his face. Not that you can see much of his face; his hair covers most of it. Miley's told him a thousand times that he should get it cut, but I don't think he'd be Oliver with short hair. I mean, obviously there was a time when I knew him and he had short hair. But I can't quite picture it now.

"I'm fine," he insisted, and I turned to Miley, who shrugged.

"Okay then," I said, and the rest of the drive - which was about thirty seconds - was done in silence.

When he stopped in front of Miley's house, and we all got out, he turned to us and smiled. "So, official beginning of summer vacation? How do we spend it?"

"No idea," I confessed. "I feel like we ought to do something, but nothing seems to be worth doing."

A cell phone went off, and I immediately recognised it as the Hannah Phone. A few years ago, this would have had me begging to answer it, but now I felt it was best left to Miley. She handled it better than I did anyway.

"Hello?" Miley flipped the phone open, and put one finger in her other ear so that she could hear better.

"Who d'you think it is?" I asked Oliver. We always did this: when the Hannah Phone rung, it was almost guaranteed to be somebody famous.

Oliver smiled. "Kelly. Clarkson. Doesn't she have a new album coming out soon?"

"Possibly." I thought for a minute. "Ooh! Or Hilary Duff! She has a new movie coming out in a few weeks, and Hannah could have scored tickets to the premiere!"

"Or it could be that girl that Hannah is friends with..." Oliver tried to remember her name.

"Traci," I filled in for him. "Or it could just be Jake..."

Miley had told Jake her true identity by mistake... well, she hadn't even told him. She'd been talking about how hard it was being Hannah Montana, and living two lives, and Jake had been standing right behind her. And don't believe her when she says that I did not try to warn her. We need a new signal.

"Sure! Can I bring two friends?" Miley gushed down the phone.

I turned to Oliver. "Looks like we're in!"

"Well we may not want to be in," Oliver replied. "It could be something so boring, that she needs us there for... not falling asleep support."

I rolled my eyes, as Miley hung up, and turned to us.

"You guys okay to come to a huge celebrity party tonight?" she asked. As if she had to.

I looked at Oliver, and he looked back. "Of course!"

**So, what do you guys think? It's my first time writing for a Hannah Montana category; usually I'm an avid Phil of the Future writer, but I just started writing this, and it seemed cool. So... tell me if you think I should continue with this!**


	2. Get The Party Started

**I'm comin' up so you'd better get this party started**

"I've lost count of the number of famous people I've seen," Oliver said, as the three of us - me, Oliver and Miley - stood by a table full of fancy looking food.

Miley rolled her eyes. "It's a celebrity party, Oli...Mitchell. It'd be easier to find a celebrity here than it would be to find a chocolate chip in a double chocolate chip cookie."

Over the last few years, Miley's run out of weird metaphors and similes to use, so she now uses ones that make... a little sense.

"Still. I don't think I've seen so many famous people in one room," Oliver remarked, looking round.

"You've obviously never been to the American Music Awards," Miley commented, and then shook her head. "Wait. Of course you haven't."

I raised my eyebrows. "I have. You didn't miss much Mitch." Mitchell is Oliver's cover name. As if it isn't hard enough remembering to call Miley Hannah.

Miley laughed. "They do get boring after a while. Some of the speeches were funny though. Oh my gosh! There's Jake!" She looked at me, as if waiting for permission to go and speak to him.

"Go," I waved my hand in his direction.

She smiled. "You sure you'll be okay here?"

"Of course! I'm enjoying watching the celebrities, and we're near food, so he's fine," I nodded, and she grinned and walked casually over to Jake.

I watched her for a few seconds; saw Jake's face split into a smile when he saw her, and then watched as she twirled her wig around her finger. But because I couldn't hear anything, it got boring, so I turned and looked at Oliver.

"Guess it's just you and me now, Oken," I said, and he shrugged.

"Better than just me," he said, and picked up one of the items on a plate behind him. I don't even want to take a guess about what it was. He chewed for a bit, and then nodded. "Pretty good."

I wrinkled my nose. "Do you even know what it is?"

He shook his head. "Nope. But it sure tastes better than the unidentified stuff from the cafeteria at school."

"Gross." I pulled a face, and wondered, for the thousandth time, how Oliver ate just about anything. Even when we were in kindergarten, he used to eat disgusting stuff. I don't even want to remember...

The music suddenly stopped, and a spotlight drew attention to the person on the stage. I couldn't see them very well; the stage was far away, and the person was quite small.

"Who is it?" I asked Oliver, who was also squinting at the stage.

He shrugged. "No idea. I can't quite tell."

But when the annoying nasally voice erupted from the speakers, we knew exactly who it was: Traci. Traci had never really liked me, and she disliked Oliver more. Ever since he ate an awful lot, and ruined a party of hers... but if you ask me, the puke was an improvement to Paris Hilton's dress. It wasn't a great colour on her.

"Ugh," I rolled my eyes, and turned away, knowing that there was nothing she could say that I would be interested in.

"Now, I want everybody to be dancing. My very good friend Hannah Montana is going to be performing now," she whined, and I turned back to the stage, to see Miley climbing up the steps, and waving.

Traci - thank God - left the stage, and Miley took over. Many people took to the dance floor, as 'If We Were A Movie' began. I tried seeing how many famous people I could see, but the lights were flashing too much.

A prickling on the side of my neck told me that Oliver was looking at me, and I turned to him. "What?"

He didn't say anything for about a minute; just stared. And I don't know why, but as I stared back, I felt this sort of stirring in my stomach. Then he picked up a handful of the things on the table, and held them out. "Want one? They're tasty."

"No," I shook my head. "No thanks. I'm good."

_If we were a movie, you'd be the right guy, and I'd be the best friend, that you'd fall in love with..._

_--_

"You guys okay?" Miley bounded up to us, and asked, at about half eleven. After the weird moment a few hours earlier, me and Oliver had found a lot to talk about, and no awkwardness was repeated. He even managed to get me to try one of the unidentified... things that he'd been eating all night. They were horrible.

"Yeah," Oliver nodded.

"You and Jake having a good time?" I raised my eyebrows, and she smiled.

"Yeah. We are. I still need to get him to ask me out, but the thing is, if he asks me out here, and somebody hears him, then he's going out with Hannah Montana. If he asks me out when I'm me, then he's going out with some unknown girl from Malibu," Miley explained.

I nodded. "Better for him to ask you out as Miley."

"Totally. So anyway, I was thinking of heading home soon. You guys okay with that?" she asked. "If you want to stay, then I will too."

Oliver shook his head. "I told my mom I'd be home by one."

I laughed. "And we wouldn't want to upset your mom, right?"

"When she's angry, she uses her man voice," Oliver nodded, and raised his eyebrows. Not that you could see that action, because of his long hair.

"Scary," Miley said, and smiled. "Okay then, so I'm gonna go say goodbye to Jake, and then we'll go."

I nodded, and she ran off to Jake. I turned to Oliver. "Well, this hasn't been a very interesting night, has it?"

Oliver shrugged. "We could do something else. I have at least an hour until mom gets angry."

"But what else?" I asked, and looked over at him.

"Beach," we both said, simultaneously.

**Sorry that it isn't a very interesting chapter. The next one should be more interesting. **


	3. At The Seaside

**I fell in love at the seaside**

We dropped Miley home; she said she didn't feel like going to the seaside. It amazes me how anybody can _not _want to go to the seaside. The beach is this amazing environment, where I go just to chill out. The beach is probably my favourite place in the world. And I'm not fussy about which beach. As long as it has sand, sea and surf, I'm good.

As she walked into her house, and we transferred from the limo into Oliver's car, I turned to my best friend since kindergarten, and smiled. "Just you and me again then Oken."

"Looks like it," Oliver nodded.

And so we went. Just the two of us. It had been a while since me and Oliver had hung out alone, yet today it had happened twice. I wonder if this entire summer is going to be just me and Oliver, like it was before Miley came.

We chatted the whole drive there. Mindless conversation, that neither of us would remember the next morning because it was insignificant.

The beach wasn't that far away; in fact, you could access part of it from Miley's house. But when me and Oliver said that we were going to the beach, we both meant that we were going to _our_ beach. A particularly hard-to-get-to stretch of sand, that we found one day when we were about eight and playing Explorers. I have no idea if anyone else goes to that beach - probably - but it's nice to think of it as our own. That nobody else knows about. It's nicer that way.

Oliver stopped the car, and even though we're both hitting the big 17 later this year, he smiled childishly. "Race you to the water."

But, before I could even accept or deny the deal, he'd unfastened his seatbelt and was out of the car.

"Hey! That's not fair! You didn't say go!" I cried, and undid my seatbelt and opened my door at lightning speed. Seconds later, I was following him, though the beaded sandals that I'd been wearing to the party weren't exactly the best footwear to be running over pebbles in.

"Fine!" Oliver laughed from slightly ahead of me. "Go! You happy now?"

I was too busy trying to catch up with him to reply. The shoes, which looked cute, were shredding my feet apart, and Oliver was still in front, with only sand left between him and the water.

"You got a huge head-start, Oken!" I cried, kicking up grains of sand with my stupid shoes.

"Never said it was a fair game," Oliver shrugged, and reached the edge of the water, punching the air with his fist. "Smokin' Oken wins by a landslide!"

I reached him, and frowned. "A landslide that will hopefully fall on your head."

"Now Lilly. No jealously. Please," Oliver grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "Oliver, you have something on your head. Let me get at it. Just..." I flicked his head deftly with my finger. Hard. "There."

"Lilly, Lilly, Lilly," Oliver shook his head, his tongue making a lump in his cheek. "You didn't want to do that."

I smirked at him. "Oh really? And why didn't I - "

I didn't get to finish my sentence, mainly because my mouth was suddenly full of salt water. I opened my eyes, which I'd scrunched close when I felt the water first hit my face, and stared at Oliver for a few seconds, through the water that was dripping from my eyes.

"Oh... now it is on, Oken," I said, leaned down into the water and pushed, sending a splash in his direction.

It didn't take long for both of us to get soaking wet and tired. I collapsed down on the sand, and pulled off the stupid sandals. They looked awesome, but they should have warned me that they'd hurt. Oliver sat down beside me, and pushed his wet hair from his face.

"Wow, I can see your face," I laughed, looking at him. "The long hair has been covering it for so long, I'd forgotten what you looked like."

He pushed me lightly, but I totally exaggerated it, and fell sideways. "Oliver!"

"I didn't mean to push that hard, Lilly!" He knelt over me, and looked anxious. "Are you okay?"

I got up slowly, and tried to look hurt. "I don't know. You hurt my arm pretty bad..." My acting skills obviously aren't the best, and so he rolled his eyes.

"Very funny Lilly."

I quit acting, and lay back on the sand. "Oliver, do you really think this summer will be boring?"

He didn't say anything for a few minutes, and then lay back next to me. "I don't know. I thought so, but I've been wrong a few times before."

"A few?" I smirked, and earned myself a glare from him. "Sorry. Continue."

"I guess we don't know until we live it, right?" he said.

I wrinkled my nose. "Was that a rhetorical question, or did you want me to answer?"

"What's a rhetorical question?" Oliver asked.

I raised my eyebrows, but chose to say nothing. Schooling wasn't Oliver's best subject, but it wasn't his worst either. He knew how to rack up a decent insult - using proper English too.

"Why? Do you think that this summer will be boring?" Oliver asked me.

I had to think a while before I could think of an answer. "I hope not. I don't know what to think. I just hope that it'll be awesome. Or as awesome as I want it to be."

"Right. Well then, name two things that you absolutely want to do this summer, and we'll make sure that we do it," Oliver said, and I turned my head to look at him.

"That's actually pretty smart," I smiled. "Okay. But you have to do the same thing. So that we can make this summer... non-boring for you."

Oliver nodded, and gestured for me to go first.

"Um... two things I want to do this summer? Well, I want to do something I've never done. No limits on that one - just something that I haven't ever done before. Try something new. And, I want to..." I paused. What else did I really want to do? There seemed like nothing. Because, as weird as it sounded - especially to me - right now, I felt like I didn't want to move from this spot. And it wasn't because it was a beach, or because it was beautiful here. It was the company.

I know that since Miley came to Malibu, I've not hung out with Oliver as much, but I haven't done it on purpose. It just felt awesome to be able to talk to a girl about stuff that I needed to talk about. And Oliver was never the greatest at advice and stuff. But I just feel like I've missed something now. I mean, Oliver seems funnier, and better at helping than I'd anticipated and given him credit for.

"You want to...?" Oliver started, and snapped me out of my reverie.

"Oh. I have no idea. I mean... there's probably a million things that I want to do, but I can't think of them right now," I blustered, and looked back up at the sky.

I felt Oliver staring at me for a while, and then his gaze drifted to the sky too. "Me neither. I was preparing for my turn, but I can't come up with anything. At least you came up with one."

"A bad one," I admitted.

"But one, nonetheless," Oliver finished.

We lay there, staring up at the sky for a while. He didn't say anything, and so I didn't either. The silence gave me a chance to think. Not that I got much thinking done, because I couldn't determine why I was feeling so strange.

Then he got up, and held out his hand. I looked at it, wondering why he was making me get up.

"You take it," he said slowly, and shook his hand in front of me. "It's to help you up."

I took it, and tried to ignore the sparks that apparently shot up my arm.

Sparks? Why the heck were there sparks running up my arm? Why were sparks running up my arms when Oliver pulled me up?

"We're going to write our names," Oliver stated, and I wrinkled my nose.

"Why?"

He looked up at me. "You don't remember?"

_"Lilly! I found a beach!" Eight-year-old Oliver ran up to his best friend, and pulled her away from her sandcastle. _

_"Oliver! It took me ages to get that sand right," Lilly complained, but, intrigued about what Oliver had found, let him pull her along. _

_It wasn't long, until Oliver let her go and they stumbled across a layer of pebbles. When they reached the sand, Oliver smiled, and held out his hands. "It's awesome, isn't it? And it's our beach. I don't think anyone else comes here."_

_"Wow!" Lilly gasped, and watched the waves lap onto the beach. _

_"So only we can know about it, right Lilly?" Oliver nodded, and Lilly nodded back. _

_"Of course. I won't tell if you won't," Lilly agreed._

_Oliver smiled at her, and held out his pinky for Lilly to attach her pinky to. She did, and then picked up a stick. _

_"What are you doing?" Oliver asked, as he watched his friend write an 'L' in the sand. _

_Lilly looked up at him. "Writing our names. This is our summer beach, and my brother says that if something belongs to you, it has to have your name on it."_

_Oliver smiled, and leant down to help. _

_When they were finished, they stood back to admire their work. LILLY AND OLIVER'S BEACH. _

_Lilly and Oliver's beach..._

"Yeah..." I said, remembering the writing in the sand. Oliver's 'E' was backwards, and it was all scrunched up, but I just remember being all proud of it.

"It was the start of the summer, on our beach." Oliver nodded. "And you brother says, that if something belongs to you, you have to have your name on it."

I smiled at him. "He certainly does. Hey, you're writing my name!"

Oliver shrugged, and carried on writing my name in the sand, so I knelt next to him, and wrote his. My fingernails got full of wet sand grains as I engraved the letters into the beach, and when we'd both finished, I saw that Oliver's hands were covered in sand too.

"Your car's gonna get all sandy," I laughed, as we walked back up the beach.

He shrugged. "It probably is already."

"I thought you were neurotic about that car," I joked. "Don't touch my radio!"

"That was just because you were turning off a perfectly good song," he commented.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

"Lilly. One thing you need to learn: Aerosmith rule," he said, deadly seriously.

I nodded. "Of course they are Ollie. Of course."

And, as we were driving away, I looked back at the names we'd written, and smiled. Lilly and Oliver's beach...


	4. Brain Is Not Damaged

**My brain is not damaged, but in need of some repair**

"Lilly!" Miley's voice rang through my empty house, and almost gave me a heart attack. So much for listening to music quietly. Not that the music was very quiet anyway.

She knocked on my bedroom door, and then opened it, walking in and sitting on the bed. "Lilly! I have big news! What are you listening to?"

I quickly shut down the window on my computer, and the music stopped. Then I turned to her, and raised my eyebrows. "News please?"

"Okay, but I want you to tell me what happened to you and Oliver last night. Because you weren't on the beach that I live next to. I changed my mind, and went out to meet you, and you weren't there," Miley said, looking at me as if she were trying to read my mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miles," I felt bad. Okay, so it wasn't our fault, but she wanted to meet us on the beach, and we had gone to the beach that - as far as I knew - she didn't know about. "We went to our beach."

She raised her eyebrows at this, and I could tell that she wanted to know what I was talking about.

"Y'see, when we were eight, Oliver found this, um, beach, and since then, it's been our beach. Um, so when we say we're going to the beach, we usually mean ours. If we'd known you would change your mind..." I trailed off, letting Miley fill in the obvious in that sentence.

"Wow. You'll have to take me to your beach sometime," Miley smiled.

I nodded. "Absolutely."

Absolutely? Why, if I was saying 'absolutely', was I thinking of excuses not to take her? It was me and Oliver's beach... not Miley's.

But it wasn't. The beach didn't _belong _to us. Miley was perfectly free to go there if she wanted to. And not taking her would be selfish.

But then she might think it was her beach too.

Ugh. Lilly, get over it! It's a beach!

Miley looked at me strangely, as I mentally argued with myself. I finished, and smiled at her, trying to pretend that I hadn't just been fighting with...me.

"Anyway. What's your big news?" I asked, folding my feet up underneath myself on the chair.

"Oh," she remembered, and her face fell. "Well, Hannah Montana has recently been scheduled to do a very short notice... summer tour."

It took me a few seconds to work out what she was saying. "You're going on tour?"

She nodded. "My dad arranged it. Even seventeen pretties in front of please couldn't change his mind. So it's just you and Oliver for two weeks. Starting next week. Is that okay?"

"Do I have any other choice?" I asked, a smile on my face. But inside... two weeks. Just me and Oliver. Well... not all the time, obviously. But no Miley.

But no Miley was okay, right? I mean, me and Oliver had been best friends for ages before Miley came into the picture. We were usually together, with nobody else.

Yet, since Miley had come... I'd changed. I guess. I mean, how else can I explain the mix of feelings that I get when Oliver says something stupid? I mean, part of me just wants to slap him, and then the other part... I don't know what the other part wants me to do.

That's just growing up. I haven't spent as much time with Oliver as I'd like to, so I feel different when I'm around him.

That doesn't explain the sparks.

Again, I stopped myself from getting into a serious argument with the other side of my brain, and looked at Miley, who was looking at me strangely. Again.

"I was talking to you, but you looked like you were far away..." Miley said, dragging out the last two words.

"Sorry," I apologised, and then nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I mean it's Oliver, why wouldn't I be okay with hanging out with Oliver? I mean he's my best friend, aside from you of course, and I've known him since I was about five, so why wouldn't I be okay with spending two weeks with him? Well, the best part of two weeks, because obviously he's not gonna be with me every second, right?"

Miley raised her eyebrows. "Lilly? You okay?"

I stopped myself, and breathed. "Yeah. Sorry, I'm in a talking mood... and you're the first person I've talked to."

"Right," Miley said, after looking at me for a few seconds. Then she shook her head. "Anyway, what were you listening to?"

"Oh. Um...Aerosmith," I admitted, and laughed at the reaction on Miley's face. It wasn't disgust... just shock.

"Doesn't Oliver listen to that music?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. He requested that I listen to them last night at the beach. He promised he'd let me have control of the radio station next time we were in his car."

Obviously he had said nothing of the sort, but I could spin it slightly.

"So you listened to them?" Miley laughed. "I would have just told him that I had."

I tried to think of a reply. "Yeah... but you know Oliver. He'll quiz me. On lyrics, chord progression..."

"Oliver doesn't know what chord progression is," Miley wrinkled her nose. "Come to think of it, neither do you."

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't think of a reply to that, so I just stood up, and pulled her arm. "C'mon, let's go break the news to Oliver. Two weeks with me? Think he'll be happy or not?"

Miley laughed. "Well if he isn't, he isn't going to admit it is he?"

"Probably not. He knows that we'll hurt him," I smiled.

"But I'm sure he'll be fine with it. He survived the first few years, didn't he?" Miley joked, and I nodded. "Where do you think he'll be?"

I raised my eyebrows, as we ran down the stairs. "Where he usually is..."

**My goal of updating once every day is going well; I just hope it continues this well. Review and I'll update tomorrow for sure. **


	5. Gonna Lose It

**I think I'm gonna lose it, lose it, lose it**

"I thought you said he'd be here," Miley groaned, as we sat down at the tables that were lined by Rico's.

I sighed and rested my head on the back of the chair. "I thought he would be. It's where he's spent the majority of his time since that new guy started working there. Little does he know, his tips are not all that helpful."

"Tell me about it. I mean, telling the poor guy over and over that his style is all wrong, cannot be good for his self-esteem. And he isn't as bad as Jackson," Miley commented. "Jackson going away to college was the best thing that happened to that place."

I laughed, and closed my eyes. "Now that's a mean thing to say."

"Well, if Oliver isn't here, I'm gonna go get some drinks. You want the usual?" Miley asked, and I heard her get up.

"Thank you Miley! I'll pay you back!" I grinned, and I heard her laugh as she walked over to the stand.

A few minutes passed, and Miley still wasn't back. Well, not from what my ears could detect anyway. Surely the queue wasn't _that _long. I mean, the new guy was faster than Jackson at serving, so he should have been whizzing through customers.

I opened my eyes to see where Miley was, but instead, I found Oliver standing over me, staring down. I jumped up, and spun back round to look at him. "Oliver! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"By looking at you?" he queried.

"Not just by looking at me. By looking at me when I didn't think you were looking at me, made me open my eyes and be totally shocked that you were looking at me," I tried to explain.

Oliver looked confused. Well, if I didn't know what I was talking about, how was he supposed to know?

"Sorry... never mind. We were looking for you. Miley..." I dragged him over to a quieter place and lowered my voice. "Miley is going on tour next week."

"Why is _Miley _going on tour?" Oliver asked, and I was suddenly reminded of the fourteen-year-old, who didn't grasp things when he should.

I groaned, and flicked Oliver's head... again. Second time in twenty-four hours. "Miley isn't, you freak. Hannah is."

"Oh!" Oliver grasped on, and I rolled my eyes. "For how long?"

"Two weeks," I told him, and tried to analyse the look on his face. I couldn't.

He looked at me, blankly. "Are you going with her?"

What did that mean? Did that mean he _wanted _me to go with her? Or that he didn't? Wait... why did I care?

"No," I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. I'd have to tell my mom why I was going away for two weeks. And she doesn't know about Hannah Montana yet."

Oliver looked at me strangely. "How does she not know?"

"I tell her that I'm going to Miley's when I go to a Hannah gig. And get ready at Miley's. She doesn't suspect, because unlike your mom, she trusts me," I said, and shrugged.

"Weird," Oliver said.

I rolled my eyes, and turned to look for Miley. She had just picked up the drinks, and was walking over to us.

"You found him," she smiled. "And he was here."

I nodded. "He was. Just later than usual."

"Well that's Oliver written all over." She continued talking as if he weren't standing right behind us.

"I am not always late!" he objected, and Miley laughed.

"Of course you aren't Oliver," she smiled. "So you okay with it being just you and Lilly for two weeks?"

I deliberately didn't look at Oliver. I don't know why, but I didn't want to see his face. If it showed utter disgust - though why would it? I've been his best friend for years, and if he was going to be disgusted, he would have dumped me by now... as a friend, obviously - then I didn't want to see it. And if it didn't... if it showed the opposite - though again, why would it? - I didn't want to find out how I reacted to that.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Oliver put his arm over my shoulders, and I looked at him strangely. So did Miley. "Lilly's awesome, aren't you Lills?"

I nodded at Miley. "Totally awesome. What do you want Oliver?"

He took his arm off my shoulder and looked at me. "Nothing! Why suspect me?"

"Because you always send a compliment when you want something," Miley answered his question.

Oliver sighed. "Shows how much my friends know about me."

"A lot," both Miley and I said at the same time.

"You want a drink, don't you Oliver?" Miley asked, knowingly.

Oliver nodded. "Forgot my money. Will pay you back."

"Come with me and get it then, idiot," Miley turned on her heel, and walked over to Rico's.

I stood, watching them. Oliver was giving the poor new guy some advice, and Miley was looking exasperated. My shoulder was still tingling from where Oliver had flung his arm around me.

But that was just because he'd hit it quite hard.

Wasn't it?

**Sorry this is shorter. But I'm in a rush tonight. Better chapter tomorrow. **


	6. What This Means

**Tell me what this means**

"See you in two weeks," Miley hugged me, and smiled. "Although I'll call you."

I nodded. "And I'll tune into MTV to see: Hannah Montana: Live in Concert." I spread my arms at this last phrase, and widened my eyes. "It'll be like I'm there with you."

"I wish you could be," Miley said. "It's always so boring on the road - when I'm not on stage, that is."

"Aw, you'll be fine," I smiled. "You survived before, when I didn't know your secret."

She thought, and let out a whistle. "Whew. Years ago. And since then, you've been at almost every TV taping, award show and concert."

"Almost. But you and I both know that my mom would freak if I went on tour with you. All the other concerts have been mainly one-off stuff," I sighed. "And anyway, somebody has to stay and keep Oliver sane."

Miley laughed. "I think we're too late for that."

"Possibly," I agreed, and out of the corner of my eye, saw Robbie Ray loading the last guitar case into the car. They were driving to a place, where they would meet up with a bus, and then drive to Ohio. Which was where the opening night was. "Your dad just finished loading."

She turned to look at the car, and sighed. "Better go say goodbye to Oliver."

Oliver had stood back when we'd gotten to Miley's house. Probably because he knew too well that we'd be chatting for hours.

"Oliver! We've finished!" she called over to him, and smiled.

He bounded up to us, and grinned. "Well, bye Miley!"

I rolled my eyes. "How can you say goodbye in only two words?"

"Easily," Oliver wrinkled his nose. "I can say it in one. Bye."

Miley sighed, but when we made eye contact, we had to look away quickly so we didn't dissolve into laughter. "Nice Oliver. I'll miss you so much."

"Naturally," Oliver shrugged, and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"He's so modest," I said, sarcastically.

Miley nodded. "Isn't he just?"

"C'mon Bud! We have to motor!" Miley's dad called from the car, and Miley's face fell.

"Guys..." she started, but I hugged her, and cut her off.

"Miss you Miley," I said, and pulled away, standing back next to Oliver.

She smiled at me. "Yeah, I'll miss you too, Lilly. And you too, Oliver."

"Again. Naturally," Oliver stated.

I rolled my eyes again, and Miley did too. Simultaneous eye-rolling. We laughed, and then the goodbye resumed.

"Okay, you seriously have to go now," I commented, and Miley hugged me one last time, before running to the car, and jumping in. Without opening the door. I remember once she told me that she couldn't be bothered to open the door - and what was the point of an open top car if you had to open something to get in?

I waved at her, as they sailed out of the driveway, and then turned to Oliver. Two whole weeks. With no Miley.

Boring?

"So, what you want to do now?" Oliver asked, as we began to walk down the Stewart driveway.

"Anything that isn't boring," I said, not exactly being specific. Then again, we never were. Being specific was boring. Ever since we were little, I - and probably Oliver too - had always preferred to see where life took us.

So... boring? Definitely not if I could help it.

---

It's been two days since Miley left. Two days, and nothing exciting has happened. At all. Me and Oliver surfed... and skated. And talked about stuff that we used to talk about before Miley.

"Bored?" Oliver asked, as we lay in his living room, staring at the ceiling.

"Totally," I replied, the swirls on the ceiling merging and blending. "You?"

He waited a few seconds before replying. "Uh-huh."

"Look! It's Ollie and his girlfriend!" A menacing voice entered the room, and the audible groan from Oliver echoed after it.

Jack was Oliver's big brother. Annoying, stupid and downright rude were just a few words used to describe him. For the majority of girls in his year, they weren't the words that they'd use to talk about him. He'd been calling me Oliver's girlfriend since I was five, and I usually got annoyed by it. But I was too bored to be annoyed.

"Go away Jack," Oliver said, in a monotonous tone.

Jack didn't go away. "Yeah, I'd hate to disturb you and your girlfriend's staring at the ceiling session."

"Well, if you'd truly hate to do that, then go away," Oliver sighed.

Still, he didn't leave. He took a seat on the couch, and then let out an exasperated sigh. "Lucy, can you pass me the remote control?"

I turned my head to look at Oliver. "Oliver, who's Lucy?"

"I think it's you," Oliver replied, and then sat up. "Jack, what part of go away do you not understand? The go, or the away?"

"Both," Jack muttered, and propped his legs up on the stool behind my head.

I scoffed. "Figures. Small brain..."

"Oliver, tell your girlfriend to shut up!" Jack exclaimed. Short temper also has to be added to that list.

"I would," Oliver shrugged. "If she were my girlfriend."

Jack let out a cry, and stood up. "Well, when you two finally admit what is right in front of your face, let me know, so I can watch some TV."

He left the room in a mood, and I watched as Oliver lay back down.

"Sorry about him," he said, and we continued staring at the ceiling in silence.

_When you two finally admit what is right in front of your face... right in front of your face... when you two admit what is right in front of your face..._

Jack's words rung in my head, and I couldn't seem to escape them. What was right in front of my face? My nose? I tried looking at my nose, causing me to look very cross-eyed... and very weird.

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked, and I turned my head to look at him.

_When you finally admit what is right in front of your face..._

Oh.


	7. How To Be Fine

**And I don't know how to be fine when I'm not**

I don't like Oliver.

Well, I do. But as a friend. As a best friend. Who I can tell everything to, and when he touches me, get shooting sparks up...

No. No, I don't get _sparks _up my arm when Oliver touches me. They were shooting pains, because I was probably having a slight heart attack.

But not because Oliver was touching me! No! Because I'd just run down a beach in shoes that broke the skin on my feet.

Yeah. That was it. And Jack was just being Jack. Annoying, and I'd fallen for it.

I don't like Oliver. Not like that anyway.

But -

"Lilly! You here?" I jumped at the sound of his voice, and shook my head, ridding it of all thoughts that I didn't want there.

"Yeah! In the kitchen!" I called back, and I heard his footsteps advancing to the kitchen. Mom must have let him in.

Oliver stood in the doorway to the kitchen for a few seconds, and I looked at him curiously.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, picking up another biscuit from the plate in front of me. "Do I have something on my face?"

He shook his head, and came and sat opposite me. Nothing was said for a few minutes, and I almost laughed several times. I've never been good at keeping a very straight face. Oliver, however, has gotten considerably better at looking serious, especially in the last few years.

I finished eating my biscuit, without completely losing it, and reached for another one. Just as Oliver reached for one too. Our hands collided, and we both instinctively pulled back. Then, realising how stupid it was, we both laughed.

"Sorry," I laughed. "You go."

He took a biscuit, and then I picked one.

"Why were we being silent again?" I asked, slightly confused.

Oliver shrugged. "'Cause you didn't say anything."

"Well neither did you!" I defended, but smiled. "And technically, I did. I asked you why you were staring at me, and you only nodded."

"Well, you should have answered when I nodded," Oliver replied.

My mom walked into the kitchen, talking incessantly on the phone. "I know that it's short notice, but I honestly cannot help it. Well, if you can't get the staff, I'll have to find some. Two? I'll need two? Uniform? None. Fine. Fine. Thank you, so much. Of course. See you and your staff later tonight."

She hung up, and then turned to me and Oliver. "Hi Oliver. I don't think I've seen you for a while."

Oliver smiled. He's perfect at handling parents. "Sorry Mrs. Truscott. Since Miley came, we've been hanging out at her house."

"I'd noticed. It's been quiet around here without you and Lilly running around," my mom smiled, and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Not that you'd be running around anyway, obviously. As you're almost seventeen. I keep having to pinch myself."

I rolled my eyes. I'd been having this lecture since I turned sixteen. And then the year before that, and the year before that. With my back to my mom, I started mouthing the words with her.

"It seems like yesterday that you were little kids, and now you're all grown up," I mouthed, and mom said. Oliver looked from me to my mother, and tried to contain his laughter.

"And you and Lilly were playing in the paddling pool at your house, and Lilly forgot her swimming costume -" my mom started, and I panicked.

"Enough of that story already! Finished! Stop talking!" I cried, and Oliver laughed even more.

"I remember that," he laughed. "Vaguely, 'cause we were like three."

I rolled my eyes. "Is it your goal in life to torture me? Both of you? Because you're both torturing me."

My mom laughed. "Anyway. Now you're grown up, and still the best of friends. In fact -"

"Mom. You're embarrassing yourself, and us," I interrupted.

"Actually, I'm not all that embarrassed," Oliver butted in.

I turned to him, and raised my eyebrows. "We can fix that."

"I'd rather you didn't," Oliver admitted, and fell silent.

"Okay, okay," my mother smiled, and took a sip of her coffee. "I can't talk for long anyway. I need to work out how I'm going to find two young people, willing to work at a fancy party for rock bottom prices... hey. Didn't have to look too far. Free food, and I'll pay you five dollars an hour."

I turned to Oliver and raised my eyebrows. He looked excited, but I'm pretty sure that the prospect of food had caused that reaction.

"We accept," he stated, and I folded my arms.

"We do?"

He stared at me, like I was stupid. "Lilly, we've been complaining that we were bored for days. Now we have something to do. And we get paid for it! C'mon Lills."

Usually I would have been able to break him down, but today... was different. I found myself being unable to say no. But that was just the prospect of money.

Money, money, money.

And a whole night with Oliver.

But lots, and lots of money.

"Fine," I said, and my mom smiled, almost as if she knew something that we didn't.

"Wear something smart. If you own anything smart, either of you. Although didn't I buy you that nice dress last year, Lilly?" my mom grinned, as she walked to the door.

An image of the dress popped into my mind. Yellow. With polka dots all over it. And a frilly hemline. Eew. There was no way that I was stepping foot out of the house, in that thing. But Mom didn't have to know that. "Um... I think it's in the wash."

"But you've never worn it," my mother argued.

Man, she was good. "Um... yeah. I like to wash things that have just come from the shop. I mean, people might have tried them on in the changing rooms. And I don't want to wear stuff that other people have worn. It's as bad as going bowling."

"What's wrong with going bowling?" Oliver asked, as if I'd insulted him.

"Nothing Oliver. I'll find something mom," I answered both of them in turn.

Mom nodded, and then walked from the kitchen. "Thank you for the help. I'll take you both to the party tonight."

I heard the front door close, and Oliver smirked at me. "Dress? It's hard to imagine you in a dress. The last dress you wore, was at my seventh birthday party. And it was ruined three minutes in."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, even though he was right. Dresses over trousers, yes, but not a dress. Not a proper one.

"Nothing," Oliver shrugged. "Apart from the fact that I will never be able to imagine you, Lilly Truscott, looking girly."

I was a little offended at this. That my best friend could only see me as the skater girl I once, and always will be. "Well then, just for you, I'll show you that even Lilly Truscott can be girly at times."

"I look forward to it," Oliver challenged.

I looked him in the eye, and ignored the stomach flop that occurred. "You should."

--

"Miley!" I cried, as soon as my best friend picked up the phone. "I need help!"

"Hello to you too," Miley's voice greeted me. "Calm down. Girl, you sound as stressed as a stampede of cattle running to -"

"No time! Miley, I need to look girly tonight, because Oliver said that I'd never be able to look girly, and I told him that I could too look girly, and we're helping at my mom's party thing, because he roped me into it, and so now I need to look girly, except I have no clue how to do that," I rambled, trying to fit as much information into one sentence as I could.

Miley was silent for a few seconds. "Got it."

"Got what?" I asked.

"I got what you just said. Now I'm thinking of a solution to your problem," Miley said.

I sighed with relief. Miley was great in situations like this. "Thank you!"

"You can use the Hannah closet. Find something girly in there, and use it," Miley came up with. "To get into my house, there's a spare key under the first flowerpot. I trust you with it."

I squealed with excitement. Not much about Hannah Montana excited me anymore, but the prospect of picking _anything_ out of the ever-changing Hannah closet was way exciting. "Yay!"

"One thing," Miley said, and I stopped dreaming about what outfit I would pick, and listened.

"What?"

"Why are you trying to look girly? Oliver challenged you? Since when have you taken up any of the challenges Oliver has set you?" Miley sounded confused.

And she had every right to be. It was confusing me too. "I guess it's just because if Oliver thinks that, then everybody must. And I want to prove to myself that I can do it."

But that wasn't it. Well, it was, but it wasn't the whole reason.

And as much as I didn't want to admit it, that reason had more to do with the fact that _Oliver _didn't think I could look like a girl. Because for some reason, that bothered me.


	8. Every Piece Of Me

**For every piece of me that wants you, another piece backs away**

"Lilly! We have to go! You looked fine when I left the room," Mom called up the stairs, as I heard the doorbell ring.

Oliver was obviously here.

Not that that matters, or anything. Just saying.

I looked one last time in the mirror, and again, didn't really recognise the person looking back at me. Thanks to my mom. There was a point this afternoon, after I'd picked out the dress from the Hannah closet, that I'd really panicked. Can you blame me? I had no idea why I was attempting to look girly, and I had no idea to go about it. But my mom had overheard me talking to myself, and was glad to offer a helping hand. I think she was sort of suspicious to why I was going to so much effort to look good, but I didn't give her that information. I don't know myself why I'm doing it. And to be honest, it seems sort of insane.

It didn't seem this insane when I was stressing over it. But whatever.

But I had a good time with my mom. I don't think I've spent that much time with her since Miley came, because before Miles, I didn't have a female best friend. Just Oliver.

"Coming!" I shoved my feet into some shoes, that looked horrifically like the ones that had caused blisters all over my heel. But, if Miley were here, she'd look at me condescendingly, and tell me 'no pain, no gain.'

But what is the gain for me here? Oliver will be impressed? Am I doing this to impress Oliver? Why? Why do I need to impress Oliver? It isn't like he's a really cute guy that doesn't know my name.

Although he did look kind of cute with his hair out of his eyes.

_NO! Stop thinking like that!_

I forced myself to focus on the party. Mom said we'd be walking around with plates of food, and offering them to the guests. Didn't seem too hard. But with Oliver in tow, we - or he - might end up eating more snacks than we serve.

"Lilly! Oliver is here, and we are getting in the car in seconds!" My mom called up the stairs again, just as I appeared at the top of them.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm here."

My mom turned to look at me, and smiled. She seemed sort of disappointed that I wasn't wearing the yellow monstrosity that she had bought me, but when she saw the dress that I had 'borrowed from Miley' she approved. It wasn't like it was too short, or too revealing. It was a turquoise-y colour, and came up to my knee. And as soon as I had seen it, I knew I had to wear it.

But Mom's reaction wasn't what I was looking for. For some reason - and I have no idea what this reason was - I found myself looking at how Oliver reacted.

He just looked shocked... I mean, his mouth was open slightly, and his eyes were widened...

He hates it. He thinks it looks totally terrible, and I should probably turn around and change into jeans now. Now. Turn around.

Why aren't my legs turning around?

"Ready?" Mom asked, and I'm not sure whether she's sensing my nervous-ness.

But I'm not nervous. Nooo. No way. No nerves here. Why would I even be nervous? I'm doing work. Work, work, work. For money, money, money.

"Yeah..." I muttered, and get to the bottom of the stairs, my legs shaking.

WHY ARE MY LEGS SHAKING?

It's the shoes. Of course it is. Shoes. Bad shoes. Too high.

Mom smiled at me, and then walked out the front door, obviously stressed about this party. Oliver is standing in the exact same place he was when I appeared at the stairs.

"I look awful, right?" I asked him, fearing the answer slightly. "Because you look pretty shocked, and it's because this outfit is terrible, and... can you tell Mom I'll be two minutes?"

I turned around, and was all ready to advance the stairs again, when something caught my arm. And I assumed it was Oliver's hand, because what else could it be?

"Lilly, you look amazing. I totally eat my words," Oliver said, and I had to turn to look at him to make sure he wasn't kidding.

"And everything else on the menu," I rolled my eyes, but inside I was practically skipping.

No. Not skipping. Just happy that I'd managed to change his mind.

He thought I looked amazing!

Stop.

Stop.

"Amazing?" I asked, just to make sure I'd heard right.

Oliver cleared his throat, and looked weird for a second. "Um... yeah. Awesome."

"Thanks," I smiled at him, and we walked out of my house.

---

"Thank God that's over," my mom came up to us at the end of the party, and sighed with relief. "I was stressed all day."

I smiled at her. "I could tell."

"Well, you seemed pretty stressed when you were talking to yourself," my mom smirked, secretly.

I tossed my hair over my shoulder, and shook my head. "I wasn't stressed, just... not sure where to start."

Mom raised her eyebrows. "Sure, Lilly. Sure."

"Stop with the sarcasm, mother!" I cried, but smiled to let her know I was joking.

Oliver came up next to us, still holding a full plate of food. "Mind if I eat this?"

I rolled my eyes, and mom laughed. "Of course not, Oliver. Be my guest."

"Are we done here mom?" I asked, trying to ignore the teenager next to me, who was mercilessly shoving food down his throat. I don't think the throat is capable of holding that much food...

Mom nodded, and smiled. "Why? Got somewhere else to be?"

"I just... no," I sighed. No plans at all.

Oliver stopped eating for two seconds, to speak. "Actually, Mrs. T, I was wondering if I could take Lilly off of your hands for a few hours."

I frowned at him. "What?"

"Wondered if you wanted to go to the beach," he shrugged, like it was no big deal.

Which it wasn't. It was just the beach. On a really nice night. With just the two of us. Not a big deal at all...

"Well Lilly?" My mom turned to me, and shrugged. "You want to go to the beach with Oliver?"

"I guess," I said, casually. "You be okay with that?"

Mom smirked. Seriously, she smirked. "I can't see why not."

"Thanks mom!" I managed to blurt out, before Oliver had dragged me from the building, and we were running to the beach. Our beach.

---

"I win!" I collapsed on the sand, and tried to regain my breathing.

Oliver collapsed next to me, kicking up sand around him in the process, and getting it all over me. "You cheated."

"How did I?" I laughed.

"Didn't say go," he pretended to sulk, although I knew that he wasn't really mad.

I rolled my eyes. "Go."

"Bit late now," he objected, and then propped himself up on his elbows. "Lilly, can I ask you something?"

I looked at him from the sand, and nodded. "Sure. Anything."

"Why did you make such an effort tonight?" he asked, and the bluntness of his question startled me slightly.

I didn't have an answer. Because it was the same question that I'd asked myself, over and over, but had always avoided the answer. "I don't know. I guess you challenged me this morning, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it..."

"Prove to yourself?" Oliver raised one eyebrow, and I cursed him for knowing me so well.

"Fine. Maybe a tiny bit of me wanted to prove it to you too. It's just, you doubted that I could be somebody other than Lilly: The Skater, and I wanted you to see that I could be," I admitted.

Oliver sighed, and looked out to the ocean. It was a deep blue because of the dark sky, and looked mysterious, and almost menacing.

"Why?" I asked, after a few seconds. "Did it work? Did I prove it to you?"

He looked at me, and nodded. "Definitely."

"Well then. Mission accomplished," I smiled, and he lay back down beside me.

"Lilly, don't you ever listen to me," he said, with such seriousness.

I had to laugh. "Can I get that in writing? Just so that the next time you tell me to listen to you, I can pull out the contract?"

"I mean... always be Lilly," he said, not making much more sense.

I was confused, to say the least. "I'm not planning on being anyone else, Oliver."

"Good. Because I like the skater girl Lilly. I mean, this you... it's amazing, but it doesn't look like you," he sighed.

I smiled. "Thank God you said that, because these shoes are killing me."

He looked down at my feet, which - again - were getting chewed at by the horrible sandals. "Why wear them then?"

"They went with the outfit!" I cried, and gestured down at the dress. It was true. They went perfectly with the outfit.

Oliver rolled his eyes, and muttered, "Girls..."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked, leaning on my elbows, to look down at him. I hardly ever find myself looking down at Oliver, considering he's taller than me, but whatever.

"Just that only girls will wear shoes that hurt their feet, because they go with their outfit," Oliver remarked. "It seems stupid."

I rolled my eyes, and nodded. "It totally is. But they look impressive."

"They certainly do," Oliver muttered.

My heart did a little flip-flop.

He was impressed? And he said he liked the skater girl me. And that I looked amazing.

Why was I so hung up on this?

Because I like him.

No. No I don't.

Yes, I do. I like him, like him.

No.

Yes. I like Oliver Oken as more than a friend.

No.

Yes.

No.

Yes.

"Lilly?" A hand waving in front of my face stopped my mental argument. Man, I seem to be arguing with myself a lot lately.

"What? Sorry. I was... out of it," I tried to explain, but the words weren't putting themselves together properly.

I liked Oliver?

No.

But it seemed to be the only logical explanation.

"You looked out of it," Oliver laughed. "I asked what you were thinking."

_I WAS TELLING MYSELF THAT I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU!_

"Eh, not much," I said. Wow. I'm pretty good at lying. In some circumstances. At least I don't hiccup, like Oliver used to.

"Sure," Oliver rolled his eyes. "Nobody that out of it, is thinking of 'not much'."

I turned to face him, and he did the same. Lying on our sides on an abandoned beach, looking at each other. "I was thinking about... Miley. She was performing in NYC tonight."

"You miss her, don't you?" Oliver looked at me sympathetically.

"Not really. I have you."

It's slipped out before I can stop it, and my head is screaming at my mouth.

"I mean... at least I'm not lonely," I tried to cover up, but I doubt it worked.

He just looked at me. Just looked. And so I just looked back. I mean, what else was I supposed to do?

He's really cute.

Lilly!

But he is! And he has really nice eyes.

Lilly. Stop.

I really like him.

Lilly! No!

In fact...

"Lilly, I -" Oliver began, speaking slowly.

I held my breath. Why was I holding my breath? Breathe! You don't like him! It's a nice night, and you just like the idea of liking someone!

"I wanted to say - " he continued. "I wanted to tell you that I - "

_You get the best, of both worlds, chillin' out take it slow, then you rock out the show..._

A Hannah Montana song interrupted him, and I realised it was my cell phone. And it was the Hannah phone calling. "I'm sorry, it's Miley. I'll get rid of her."

I was blustering. Because I wanted to hear what he had to say. What did he have to say? Stupid cell phone. Why'd it have to go off?

Not that I thought he was going to tell me he liked me or anything. And that's good. Because I don't like him.

Ugh. Give it up. I like him. I like Oliver Oscar Oken, and I seriously thought that he was going to tell me that he liked me. But Miley had to go and call.

"Hello?" I asked, trying to sound normal, but not sure I'd achieved it. Oliver had looked away, and has resumed looking at the ocean.

"Lilly! Guess what? Jake was here, in NY! And he asked me out! Isn't that so great? And he asked me out as Miley! So the press don't know, and we're all okay, and I'm so happy!" Miley gushed down the phone.

I smiled. I was happy for her. Really. But my gaze kept drifting back to Oliver, who was staring at the ocean like something strange had just come out of it. "That's awesome, Miley."

"Anyway, I just had to call and tell you! So... what'cha doing? Did the dance go well? Did you look girly enough for Oliver?" she asked, unaware that she had interrupted something.

Had she interrupted something? Maybe he was just gonna tell me that I had something on my face, or something stupid like that.

"I'm at the beach. With Oliver. Want me to put you on speaker?" I asked, convinced that she hadn't actually interrupted anything. Oliver doesn't like me. Well... he does, but as a best friend, and nothing more.

Miley was silent for a few seconds. "You on the beach with Oliver alone? At this time?"

"Yeah, we were talking," I said, wondering what she was getting at. Did she know? Did the whole world know?

How could they? I'd only just found out myself, for Pete's sake!

"Uh, Lilly, you know that I'd love to talk to you and Oliver, but Daddy's saying that I have to hang up the phone now, so... I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Miley rushed, like she was trying to get me off the phone. But she called me!

"Sure," I sighed, confused. "I'll call you?"

"You do that. Have fun!"

I flipped the phone down, and lay it down on the sand beside me. "Sorry..."

"It's okay," Oliver shrugged. "Not your fault that Miley called you, right?"

I shook my head, and hoped that he'd finish his sentence. The one that he'd started.

He didn't. We lay there for a few more minutes, and then he got up, dusting himself free of sand, and holding out his hand to help me up. I took it, grabbing my phone and bag as I did so, and then we were walking.

Away from the beach. Away from the moment. And all the while I was begging for him to finish the sentence. Begging for him to turn and say: "Lilly, I wanted to tell you that I really like you."

He never did.

Ugh.

**Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I felt really sick, but I was composing it all in my head, and so have given you guys and extra long update tonight. I hope it's okay, and I'll update tomorrow!**


	9. In Over My Head

**Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head**

As promised, I called Miley the next day. She picked up almost instantly, and I heard her chirping voice on the other end of the phone. "Lilly!"

"Hey," I said. Monosyllabic. The less I said, the less I'd give away.

"Thanks for ringing me back. I didn't want to disturb you and Oliver anymore than I already had," she almost sung.

Why is she so happy?

Oh. Yeah. Jake asked her out. Ugh.

Not that I'm not happy for her. I am. But I can't handle this chirpiness right now.

"You didn't disturb us, Miley. We were on the beach. Talking. End of," I sighed, knowing the sarcasm that would follow my statement.

"Sure." And boy was I right. The sarcasm was ever-present, and I groaned.

"Miley... my mom - and Oliver, 'cause it was totally his idea - roped me into helping at one of her events, and we didn't feel like helping to clean up, so we went to the beach," I explained, missing out one or two details.

Silence. She doesn't believe me. She doesn't believe me. She knows I'm lying. She knows I like Oliver.

But I don't.

I do.

No.

Yes.

Oliver is just my best friend.

Your best friend who you happen to be in love with.

No.

Yes. Mrs. Lilly Oken.

No.

Yes. You know you love him, and you think he's cute, and that he has nice eyes and -

"Shut up!" I cried, and then realised I'd spoken aloud.

"I didn't say anything, Lills," Miley said, and I could tell that she was trying not to laugh.

Shoot. Um... "Sorry. My... brother was yelling for me."

"Riight. Anyway. You. Oliver. Beach. About midnight." Miley's doing it. Speaking in as little syllables as possible.

"What about it? We went to the beach the other night at midnight too..." I defended.

I can almost see the look she's giving me. If she were giving me a look. She's probably giving the phone a look. "And it was suspicious then too. Would this be _your _beach? The one you went to?"

"Yeah..." I wrinkled my nose. Duh.

"You even have a beach. Lilly..." she trailed off. What was she getting at? What was she insinuating?

She was insinuating what I was thinking last night.

"What?" I asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Miley, we're _friends_. Generally, friends hang out."

"All you are?" she asked.

She knows. How does she know? Does everyone know? She's not even here! She's on a tour bus somewhere! How can she see into my mind like this?

"Miley! I'm not sure I like what you're getting at!" I laughed, and hoped I'd gotten away with it.

She sighed. "Lilly, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course I do," I said. Why do I feel bad? I feel really guilty. Why?

Because I'm hiding the biggest secret in the world from her.

No I'm not. She hid the fact that she was Hannah Montana - for months! This is nowhere near as big as that.

Ah. So there is a secret.

No! No, I don't love Oliver.

Wait. Where did that love come from? Last night, I only liked Oliver. Why is this word - love - plaguing me?

I DON'T LOVE OLIVER!

She waited a few more seconds, and then sighed. "Okay, Lilly. Just wanted you to know that. Anyway, I'm going out with Jake as soon as we both get back to Malibu! How awesome is that?"

"Pretty awesome," I muttered, not really taking much of what she was saying in.

I like Oliver.

Argh.

Why do I like Oliver? I mean, he is a very like-able person. Just... why me?

My eyes scanned the room, and fell on a picture of me and Oliver. Oliver and me. It's a recent picture too; Miley took it at the last school dance that we all went to. And Oliver is smiling, and has his arm around me.

I remember him putting his arm around me at Rico's, and the jittery feeling I got after it.

And then the sparks when he helped me up from the sand.

Symptoms. Of something I hadn't even considered.

"Lilly?" Miley asked, sounding slightly worried. "You okay?"

No! No, I'm not okay! I've just realised, that I'm in love with one of my best friends! In love! When last night, I just liked the guy.

When did like get replaced by love?

Or was 'love' always the word there, I just wouldn't admit it?

Yeah, that last explanation seems about right. Miley's always said I'm stubborn.

"No," I sighed, and lay back on my bed. "No, Miles, I'm not alright."

Miley doesn't sound surprised. "What is it? And I'm sitting down. For another three hours, so I have plenty of time."

Why beat around the bush?

"Miley, I think I like Oliver."

There's only silence for about thirty seconds. "I knew it!"

"What? What did you know? And how did you know it, and I didn't know it, until right now?" I sat upright, and asked her.

"Lilly, deep down you knew it. 'Cause I saw the way you looked at him, and the way he looked at you, and I just knew. You two were as obvious as a sheep on a school bus," Miley laughed, and I don't know whether I felt relief or anger.

"How long for? I mean, how long have I been this oblivious? Miley, tell me it's been about a week, so I don't feel completely stupid!" I exclaimed, and threw myself back down on the bed.

She laughed. "I could tell you that, but my nose would be about a foot long."

"How long for then?" I asked, sort of dreading the answer.

"About a year," Miley said, and I could almost see her shrugging. Like it was no big deal. Like I had been blissfully unaware of the fact that I had loved Oliver for a year because I had wanted to be.

A year?

But it all made sense.

I mean, when Oliver had gone back out with Becca for a bit, I had told myself that I was not jealous. Convinced myself too. But I was.

And at that weird Truth or Dare party that Amber and Ashley had held, when they asked me if I had liked someone... that's probably why my eyes were instantly drawn to Oliver. Yet, I told them that I didn't. But I did.

Clueless has a new definition: Lilly Truscott.

"So, what are you going to do?" Miley asked me, and I shook my head, stopping me from remembering all the hints that I'd had.

I shrugged, even though she couldn't see me. "I have no clue."

"I think you should tell him." Miley offers advice, even though I'd asked for none.

"What? Tell him? No way! I can't tell him! What am I supposed to say? Oliver, I love you, let's go skateboarding?" I cried.

Miley laughed. How can she be laughing? "Lilly, he feels the same way. Just, do it. Go to his house, now, and tell him you like him."

"I can't Miley! I'm no good at this sort of thing," I groaned. I'm not telling him. I can't. I'm going to pretend that I don't love him. Easy.

Pretend, pretend, pretend.

"Lilly, you're sixteen - almost seventeen - and you've never asked a guy out. You've kissed one person - " Miley began.

"Two," I cut in, before I can stop myself. When I realised what I'd said, I clapped a hand over my mouth.

"Two?" Miley questions. I've never told her... not that I was keeping it a secret. But, because I didn't feel the need to.

"Yeah... two," I said, and hoped she'd drop it. _Please drop the subject, please drop it, please, please, please..._

"Who?" she asked.

She didn't drop it.

I paused for a second before answering. "Um... Oliver..."

"What?" she exclaimed, and it's so loud that I have to pull the phone away from my ear. "What? When? How? Why? Last night? Did he kiss you? What? Lilly!"

"Miley, calm down. First, it was not last night. We were seven. Second, I dunno why. We just did. We were seven. Third, I guess we both did it. I don't think either of us suggested it. We just kissed, and then moved on. We were seven. Neither of us knew what we were doing, and neither of us brought it up again after. It's no big deal," I sighed, and waited for the reaction.

"No big deal? How come you never told me about this?" she asked, sounding almost outraged. But I know she's not.

I rolled my eyes. "We were _seven._ Seven years old, neither of us knew that you only kissed someone you loved... romantically. It was never mentioned again, until now."

"I can't believe you've kissed Oliver before," she muttered, and I could hear her shaking her head. Well... I could hear her head moving against the cell phone, so she could have been nodding, I guess.

"No. Neither can I. But back to the issue. I'm not telling Oliver," I said, and closed my eyes.

She groaned. "But Lilly, you have to. He feels the same. I know it. And it's what you do. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy - one of you has to own up to it! And if you leave it to Oliver, you could be waiting a long time."

"Hey! He isn't that bad!" I defended him.

"See. You've got it bad. You're even defending the boy. Tell him!" Miley insisted.

I opened my eyes. "There is no way, in this lifetime, that I am telling Oliver - "

"Telling Oliver what?" A voice cut in, from the doorway behind me, and I sat up quickly, fell back, and ended up in a heap on the floor.

"Ouch," I mumbled, and entangled myself from the clothes that were littering my floor.

"What are you not telling me?" Oliver laughed, from the doorway.

I sat up, and looked at him for a few seconds, and then put the phone back to my ear. "Miles... Oliver's here. I gotta go."

"Oh. Tell him!" she manages to cry, before I flip the lid of the phone down and hang up.

Oliver walked into the room, and sat in the inflatable chair opposite my bed. "And, for the third time... what are you not telling me?"

What do I say? What do I say?

"I can't tell you," I smiled, in a sing-song voice. "That would ruin the surprise."

He folded his arms. "Lillian Truscott. I hate surprises."

"You'll like this one," I reassured him... even though I'm not entirely sure what the surprise was. Oh well. It's a figment of my imagination - he can like it if I say so.

Oliver just looked at me for a few seconds, and then shook his head. "If you say so."

"I do say so," I smiled at him.

Wait - am I being flirty? With Oliver? I mean, I like him, and I'll fully admit that - to myself. And Miley I guess - but there is no need for flirting.

Unless I flirt with him a lot.

Do I flirt with him a lot? Have I been flirting with him this past year, and not even noticed? Can that even happen? Isn't there some sort of light in your head that goes off whenever you're flirting with someone?

If there isn't there totally should be.

"Anyway," I said, trying to snap out of 'flirty' mode. I didn't even know I had a flirty mode, but I obviously do. And I'll have to ask Miley about the flirting thing later. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Just came to hang out."

"Right. Good plan. Anything else?" I asked. "'Cause you can't have expected to sit in this room all day."

"We could watch a movie," he shrugged. "At the movie theater or here."

I didn't care. As long as I was with him.

Ugh. Now that just sounded desperate.

"Sounds good to me," I smiled. "But... should we go to the movies, where they have popcorn, and you have to pay, or should we stay here, where we have popcorn, and it doesn't cost a thing?"

"Here," we both said, simultaneously.

Well, we're not stupid.

**I'm really happy! Two chapters in a row, and both broke 2000 words! Yay! Another update real soon, but review first! **


	10. When You Were Young

**Started turning when you, were young**

"I seriously hate this movie," I complained, as Oliver pressed play on the remote control. "Last time we watched it, you called me! And you made me scream!"

Oliver laughed. "I remember that. You screamed so loud, and threw your phone over the other side of the room."

"Not funny!" I poked him in the side, as the opening scene began.

I hate this movie, I hate this movie, I hate this movie...

But Oliver loves it. He seems to get some sort of kick out of making me scared. And we've already watched two movies, both of which I picked. I have to hand it to Oliver, he sure seems to put up with being made to watch Just Like Heaven two-thousand times.

I hate this movie!

I pulled the pillow from the side of me, and held it to my chest, ready to bury my face in it when I had to.

"Aww, is Lilly scared?" Oliver put on a mocking voice, and laughed.

I glared at him.

"What happened to Never-Tremble-Truscott?" Oliver asked.

I didn't used to be scared of horror movies. Until that time where we'd watched The Ring, Oliver had called me, and I'd been dead sure that the voice on the other end would be telling me that in seven days, my time would be up.

"One of her best friends called her up after watching this movie," I retorted, and shot daggers in his direction. "And she trembled."

Oliver laughed, and I poked him in the side again.

"So thank you for that," I said, sarcastically.

Oliver turned to me and grinned goofily. "No problem. Now, let me watch the movie."

I rolled my eyes, but had to fight back a smile. His goofy smiles were so cute.

Ugh. Now that I've admitted to the crush, it's all I can think about. It's taken over! And that is scarier than the movie!

---

"Is it over?" I muttered from the pillow. "Oliver! Is it finished?"

"Yeah, yeah," Oliver muttered, distractedly.

I peeked out of the pillow, just to see another character fall to his death. "Argh! Oliver! You said it was over!"

"Huh? I meant no," he said, not taking his eyes from the television. "Almost."

I shoved my head back in the pillow, trying to block out the ominous music. My mom was out for the night, at my dad's seminar or something. And my brother was out all night. So it was just me and Oliver, which made things worse. I mean, Oliver's cute, and funny and all, but he's not exactly Mr. Macho. So if a murderer broke in - or worse, a murdering ghost-thing - then he wouldn't even be able to save himself. Let alone me.

"Now? Tell me! It's gotta be done now, right Oliver?" I asked, hoping the answer was yes. It had to be yes.

The music stopped, and I felt the pillow being tugged away from my face. "Lilly, it's done."

I sighed with relief, and let Oliver take the pillow. "Thank goodness. I don't get why you like that film. It's scary beyond belief. I'm never gonna be able to sleep tonight."

"Then don't," Oliver said, and then hurriedly added: "Watch another movie."

I got up, and yawned. "But it's like, eleven."

"So?" Oliver shrugged. "My mom's out all night. And you just said you're not gonna be able to sleep, so put on another movie. It's only logical."

Logical. Oliver was being logical.

"Fine," I smiled. "But I get to pick."

He rolled his eyes. "Great. Another chick-flick. C'mon Lilly, I get enough of the kissing when it's you and Miley. 'Cause I'm way outnumbered. Although, now she's going out with Jake..."

"Not a chick-flick," I agreed. "I promise."

I searched through the box that contained all of our DVDs, and found it, lying near the bottom. Me and Oliver used to watch this movie all the time, and I can't remember the last time I watched it. I fished it out, and held it up, waving it. Oliver took one look at the title, and grinned. "You still have it?"

I nodded. "Obviously."

"Well, put it on! I haven't seen this in years!" he sat up, and looked animated. Which, considering he'd just watched a movie where people get killed off, is amazing.

I laughed, and put it in the DVD player. "Do you remember when we used to think our toys could talk?"

"Like Woody!" Oliver nodded, and laughed. "Stupid really."

I laughed. "It was sweet."

The menu came up, and I pressed play. Aww, I love this movie. A total contrast to the last movie. I looked over at Oliver, who turned his head and looked back.

Stupid fluttering feeling in my stomach!

"If you hadn't eaten all the popcorn, I'd have thrown it at you right now," I laughed, and he rolled his eyes.

"Nice."

I smiled. "You would've eaten it anyway."

"Probably," he nodded.

A few more seconds of looking, and then I looked away, trying to let the butterflies in my stomach settle down. What a stupid saying. Butterflies in my stomach. There are no butterflies in my stomach. Because I'm not eating insects. And if I had eaten them, then how would they still be alive?

Oh, no. I'm beginning to sound like Oliver.

I tried to focus on the movie: Toy Story. Both me and Oliver had loved this movie, and used to know all the words. I can still recollect the odd phrases, and I can hear Oliver muttering them too.

This couch is really comfortable.

And I'm sitting really close to Oliver, which isn't a bad thing. It isn't a bad thing at all.

Yawn.

I'm really tired. I was up early this morning, wondering what to do about the fact that I'm in love with Oliver. And I still haven't really come to a conclusion.

Yawn.

I'm gonna close my eyes for a second. Just one second, and then I'll go back to watching the movie.

Just... one... second...

---

"Lilly," someone shook me awake. "Lilly?"

I opened my eyes slowly. This wasn't my room. It was... the living room? And when did my pillow get so comfortable?

"Lilly?" My mom stared at me, her face blurred around the edges. "Wake up, honey."

I opened my eyes fully, and looked up at her. "Yeah mom?"

"Why are you sleeping on the couch with Oliver?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

What? "What?" I sat up, and turned around.

My 'pillow' had actually been Oliver's chest. No wonder it was comfortable.

No!

"What?" I exclaimed again, and rubbed my eyes vigorously.

My mom is still waiting for an answer. "Well?"

"Ugh. Sorry Mom... we must have fallen asleep. Watching Toy Story," I explained, and turned to look back at Oliver.

He looked really cute when he was sleeping. His hair was messy - messier than usual - and he just looked peaceful. Which is to be expected when you're asleep, I guess.

"Toy Story?" Mom queried.

I shook my head. "Don't ask. Thanks for waking me up Mom. Sorry..."

"It's okay Lilly. Just so I know it was... nothing else," she said, and then left the room.

Nothing else? What else could we do?

MOM!

How can she even imply that? Well, she can, but how can she say it? To me? Urgh!

"Oliver!" I hit his chest, and he opened his eyes like a shot.

"Where's the cannon?" he asked, blearily.

I rolled my eyes, though inside I was squealing. Cute, cute, cute!

No. Focus.

"We fell asleep," I said, bluntly.

He rubbed his eyes. "Oh. 'Kay." Then he pulled his legs round so that he was in a sitting position, and sighed. "What are we doing today then?"

I yawned. "Something that doesn't involve doing much."

He looked at me, and smiled. "I think we can arrange that."

**Sorry for the rubbish-ness of this chapter. And I might not have a long update for you tomorrow, because I'm away until 6:00. So yeah. Review for this one though - and thank you for all the reviews so far!**


	11. Need Some Help

**I need some help, some inspiration**

"Lilly!" Miley giggled, when I'd filled her in. "How could you sleep with Oliver?"

I groaned, and fell back on my bed, trying not to be too loud. Oliver was downstairs, talking to my brother about Spiderman or something. "Miley!"

If I could have, I would have hit her.

"I mean, why didn't you tell me that you were sleeping with him?" she laughed.

"Miley, shut up! You know that that isn't it at all. I fell asleep, and so did he - obviously. Now can we get back to discussing the situation at hand? Which is, that my mom told me that she was relieved it was nothing else!" I cried, and buried my head in my pillow. Which was not as comfortable as Oliver's chest.

ARGH!

She laughed. "Lilly, she was joking. I don't think she'd have expected that anything else had happened. It's you and Oliver. Not... Ross and Rachel."

"Ross and Rachel?" I asked, forgetting the task for a second.

"I was at a loss for other couples," she admitted. "But still, Lilly, she doesn't think that you and Oliver are together - in fact, she knows it. So, chill out, and tell him!"

I sighed. We were back to this again? "Miley, shut up, okay? I'm not like you. I cannot walk up to someone, and be all flirty, and then have them ask me out at a Hannah Montana concert. Oliver is, and has been my best friend for a while - you too, but not for as long - and it's complicated. I didn't ask to like him like this, it just happened. And I've never liked anyone like this before... it's weird. So I don't think I can just go up and tell him that I'm madly in love with him. Well, I can't go up and tell him that I like him, anyhow. Madly in love, not so sure."

"Lilly! It's easy. And Oliver likes you back, so that makes it ten times easier. At least you know that there is no chance of rejection. Tell him, he'll tell you the same, and then you'll live happily ever after, in a house in Malibu, with five kids and three dogs," Miley ranted.

I raised my eyebrows. And I know she can't see me, but it was like an immediate reaction. "Three dogs?"

"So you don't object to the five kids?" Miley laughed, not really answering my question.

"I was getting to that," I stated.

"Sure you were," Miley said, more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You know you've named your five kids already."

I rolled my eyes. "Miley, I found out that I liked the guy _yesterday. _And have been with him, watching movies ever since. When - and I repeat: when? - have I had time to name our kids?"

"So you admit there's kids!" Miley practically screeched with glee.

I groaned. "Miley, I'm going to hang up now."

"Tell him!" she screamed, before I shut the lid of the phone.

Well I did warn her.

I walked over to my dresser, trying to find a new pair of contacts. There was none. Ugh. The realisation that I was in love with Oliver, had made me forget that I needed some more contact lenses. I made a mental note to tell mom, and then searched for the hideous glasses, that I hadn't had to wear since I was fourteen. Hopefully they weren't broken...

They weren't, and I slid them on, the room suddenly coming into focus. My eyes had improved slightly since the last time I had worn them, and so I could see a few things without them, but I definitely needed them.

Too bad they looked awful.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and straightened out my orange tank top. The glasses clashed horribly with it, but oh well. No use dwelling, right?

I ran downstairs, and into the kitchen, where Oliver was still talking animatedly with Mike about Spiderman. Spiderman? How long can you talk about a cartoon for?

"Mike, don't you have some place to be?" I asked, when there was a break in conversation.

He shook his head. "Nope. I like talking to Oliver."

"Great," I rolled my eyes, and pulled an apple from the bowl on the counter.

Oliver looked at Mike, and then at me, and then smiled. "Mike, I'll talk to you more about the greatest hero on earth, later, yeah?"

Mike nodded enthusiastically, and then bounced out of the room.

"Greatest hero on Earth?" I asked Oliver, my eyebrows raised.

He nodded. "Spiderman is amazing."

"Oliver, I don't think you can count a comic character as 'the greatest hero on earth'," I smiled sympathetically at him. "I think, in order for someone to be great, they must have been alive. At some point."

Oliver rolled his eyes, and walked around the counter to stand in front of me. "Lilly, trust me. He was great..." He leaned forward, and widened his eyes.

If I didn't know better, I'd say he was flirting. But I know better, so he's not.

I smirked. "Sure he was, Oliver. Sure..."

I folded my arms, and Oliver mirrored the action, reminding me of one time in drama class, when we had to do mirror exercises. And I had refused to pick Oliver... but had I done it because he sucked at acting? Or because it was Romeo and Juliet... and we all know what that means.

Had I liked Oliver back then?

"Anyway, Oken. What are we doing today?" I asked, breaking the silence, but also breaking my thoughts.

He shrugged. "I dunno. Hang out?"

Hang out. Boring? We'd been hanging out for days.

But with Oliver... now that was different.

"Sure. Let's hang out."

**I'm not gonna be able to update everyday for a while - I'll update as much as possible, I just doubt it'll be every day. If it is, then great! So I will keep trying to update as much as possible. But I have a lot of homework, revision and tasks to do for school, so I'll be quite busy. But I'm gonna try as hard as I can!**


	12. Swept Me Off My Feet

**Like a tidal wave came from nowhere swept me off my feet**

Miley comes back in two days.

These two weeks have flown by real fast; it's almost amazing. She sounded excited on the phone. I mean, she loves being Hannah, but sometimes she admits that it gets too much. It looks stressful. All that singing and dancing at the same time. Yeuch.

I sighed as I collapsed on the couch, being without Oliver for the first time in days. And for most people, it would be a time to relax. But I didn't feel like relaxing. I stared at the phone, willing it to ring. Ring. Be Oliver. Or Miley. Whichever.

Well, it won't be Miley. She's performing in Florida or something.

So be Oliver... ring. Ring...

Jeez! Why won't the stupid thing ring?

"Lilly?" My mom walked into the room, slipping in an earring. She has another party tonight. "I thought I heard you."

I looked up at her from the couch. "It's me. Hi. What can I do for you?"

"Just wondering what your plans are tonight," she asked casually, and finished adjusting her earring. Then she sat down by my legs.

"I was wondering the same thing," I replied, and looked back at the phone. Ring. Ring, you stupid phone!

She smiled at me. "Lilly, I overheard you talking to Miley the other day."

She heard what now? Please don't be the bit about Oliver... please don't be the bit about Oliver... please...

"You were talking about Oliver," she admitted, and put her hand on my leg.

Damn it.

I sat looking at her, not knowing what to say. I've never talked to my mom about this sort of thing... 'cause I've never had to. I mean, she knows that I went out with a guy when I was fourteen... what was his name again? And she knows that Miley's been out with a few guys, but not as many as some people. But I've never had to ask her for advice or anything.

"Lilly, I remember being your age, and I don't know if you knew this, but your father and I were just like you and Oliver. Best friends from a young age, and then it developed into something more... and now we have you, and Mike..." she trailed off, and seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

What should I say? "Mom..."

"I know, I know, you want me to stop talking about things in my day. I just brought it up, because I know you're confused, and you don't know what to do," Mom looked at me sympathetically. "I just wanted you to know that I'm her if you need to talk."

I sighed. "Mom, I don't know. I mean... apparently, I've been crushing on Oliver for a year, but I only found out about it like, a week ago. And it just seems so complicated. Because Miley says that he likes me back, but I don't know. I mean, I can't see anything that suggests that. And if I said something, and he didn't like me like that, then our friendship could be awkward, and I'd rather have him as a friend, than lose him completely. Does that make sense? And I'm still not sure that I want to like him, because he's my best friend..."

She smiled at me. "Lilly, all these thoughts you're having... I had them too."

I sat up and looked at her. "Did you tell him? Well, duh, you must have, because you and dad are married, and still happy, and you must have gotten together..."

"He told me. One of us had to say something, and he said it first. Although I was just about to. My point is, that if you like Oliver... tell him. Because if you wait for him... you could be waiting a while," she laughed.

"Miley said that," I smiled.

She laughed again. "Don't get me wrong, Oliver is a great guy, but you have to admit, he isn't exactly Einstein."

I smiled, and hugged her. "Thanks Mom."

"Well I'm here, Lilly. Just letting you know," she grinned, and then stood up. "Anyway. Mike is out at Jacob's, and your father is at the football game, so it's just you. If you go out and are going to be home late, then leave a message on my cell, okay?"

I nodded, and she waved at me, as she grabbed her coat, and left the room. Minutes later I heard the door open.

"Oh, Oliver. Come in, she's in the living room," I heard my mom chirp, and then listened as someone came in the house, and someone left. The front door closed.

I folded my feet up in front of me, and turned to the door. "Uh oh. Can't I escape you?"

"Ha ha," Oliver pretended to laugh, as he stood in the doorway. "It's getting totally dark out."

I looked at the clock. "Oliver, it's ten o'clock. I'd imagine it would be."

"When did I last see you?" he wrinkled his nose, not listening to my last statement. "I forgot."

"About an hour ago," I told him. "Although it all seems to have blurred."

He nodded. "Totally. Anyway, want to do something?"

I laughed. "Like what?"

"Go surfing?" he queried.

"Oliver, you just told me that it was getting dark outside. Now you want to go surfing. In the dark?"

He smiled; the same mischievous smile that he'd given me countless times when we were young. "Live a little, Lilly."

"Me? Live a little? You don't think I live enough?" I asked him.

He folded his arms. "Prove it."

"By surfing? Bring it on," I stated, and got up, running upstairs, and grabbing my bikini, and then my surfing gear. I was downstairs in a minute, and racing Oliver to the beach.

No prizes for guessing which beach.

--

"Oliver! This water is freezing!" I cried, as we waded into the sea. It was pitch black now, and I could just make out Oliver through the dark.

He laughed. "What did you expect? The sun warms the water. And there is no sun at night!"

"Well done, Oliver!" I shouted, sarcastically, paddling to a deeper stretch of water on my board.

Oliver rolled his eyes - I think - and reached a good surf spot. Then he stood up, waiting for a good wave to come along.

I watched him for a few seconds, as he got his balance, and then heaved myself up to a standing position.

A good wave came along, and I caught it, just ahead of Oliver.

I love surfing. Catching the wave, and then riding it through until the end. I love the roar of the water, and the exhilaration of skimming over the sea. It's totally amazing. Which is why, except for skateboarding, my favourite sport is surfing.

A cry behind me alerted my attention. Oliver must have wiped out.

Don't look back... don't look back...

But what if he's hurt?

So, stupidly, I looked back. And couldn't see anything.

Although I only had a few seconds before I found myself falling into the water. My arms flailed as I tried to keep my balance, but the next thing I knew was the water getting into my eyes and mouth...

And then... nothing.

**I hate to leave it like this, seriously I do. But I will update tomorrow. I will. So you won't have to wait long before you find out if Lilly is okay. **


	13. Right Beside You

**Even if you cannot hear my voice, I'll be right beside you dear**

_Oliver resurfaced, and looked across the sea, to where Lilly should be. She wasn't there. _

_Concern flooded into his head. "Lilly? Lilly, where are you? Are you okay?"_

_Nothing. _

_He turned and looked back at the beach, hoping that she'd swum back there, and would be sitting on the sand. _

_She wasn't. He wriggled his foot from the surf leash, and picked up his board. _

_"Lilly!" He called, the panic rising, and then began to scan the ocean again. Where was she? Surely she'd have run out of breath by now. _

_And then he saw it. Her dark surfboard was bobbing in the ocean a few metres away, and his heart sunk as he saw she was not on it. _

_Oliver let go of his board and quickly began to swim to the surfboard, hoping he was wrong. She was around the other side. It was too dark. He couldn't see properly. _

_As he approached the surfboard, he saw her. Lying, slightly under the water, her eyes closed. _

_"Oh my God..." he cried, and picked her out of the water, shaking her slightly. "Lilly, wake up!" He looked around and tried to figure out what had happened; why she was unconscious. When he moved his foot, it collided with a rock, obviously buried in the sand. _

_She had bumped her head. Hard, by the looks of things. _

_Oliver held her head with one hand, and shaking, tried to undo the leash that connected her to the surfboard. His cold fingers grasped the knot, and he pulled, freeing Lilly's foot from the board. Then he picked her up, and began to wade to the shore. _

_When he got to the sand, he lay her down, and trembling, checked for a pulse, talking to himself at the same time. "Please let her be alive, please..."_

_He breathed a short sigh of relief, when he felt the slow beat of the blood being pumped around her body, but knew that he shouldn't be too relieved. _

_Ambulance. _

_That was his first thought, and probably his most rational. He ran over to the pile of things that they'd left, searching for a cell phone. He found Lilly's and quickly dialled the number, but not wanting to leave her for long, he stumbled back. _

_"I'm calling for help, okay Lilly?" he said, hoping that she could hear him. Could she hear him? _

_"Do you require an ambulance, police or fire service?" a voice greeted him as he answered the phone. _

_"Ambulance," he barked, not taking his eyes from Lilly. She was still breathing, wasn't she? _

_There was a pause as he was put through. "Hello."_

_"Hi. I need an ambulance, at um... the beach nearest to the school. Do you know where that is? Me... me and my friend were surfing, and she just disappeared, and I think she hit her head on a rock. I got her out of the sea and everything, and I think she's breathing, but I don't know what to do next..." Oliver rambled, still staring at his best friend. _

_This was all his idea... if she wasn't okay... if Lilly didn't make it... it was all his fault. _

_But she was going to make it. She was. _

_"She's still breathing you say?" the operator asked, and Oliver nodded. Then he realised that they couldn't see him, and so agreed. _

_"Yeah."_

_"We'll have an ambulance with you as soon as possible," the operator said, and Oliver hung up the phone, wanting to do something. _

_What could he do?_

_Why had he fallen asleep in all those CPR classes? If he hadn't then maybe he'd be able to help Lilly. _

_He leaned forward, looking at her. She looked like she was sleeping, but he knew it was more serious than that. "Lilly, I got help. They should be here soon. You're gonna be fine."_

_It seemed like hours had passed before he finally heard the ambulance sirens, and saw the paramedics running down the sand to them. He stood up, and gestured to Lilly, who was lying helpless on the sand. They immediately crouched next to her, and checked for a pulse, and all the other vital signs. _

_Oliver stood next to them, watching helplessly. What could he do? Lilly... his best friend Lilly was lying there, unaware of anything that was going on, and he didn't know what he could do. _

_"We need to get her to a hospital. What's her name?" one of the paramedics told him, as the other went back to the ambulance to get a stretcher. _

_"Lilly. Truscott. Is she going to be okay?" Oliver asked; knowing that the paramedics wouldn't be too hasty to confirm this. He just needed to hear the answer. _

_The guy was silent for a few seconds, as he watched his partner wheel the mobile stretcher to them. "Let's hope so."_

_Hope so. Is that good?_

_The hospital wasn't far away, but they drove fast anyway. _

_"Keep talking to her," the guy with him advised. "It helps."_

_For once, Oliver was at a loss of what to say. He grabbed her hand, and began to talk - not that much of it made much sense. "Lilly, if you can hear me, then that's good. I guess. Although you'll probably die of boredom because I'm talking rubbish. No. You won't die. You won't. I know you'll be okay. You won't let some rock kill you, will you?"_

_The hand that he was holding tightened around his own suddenly, and then relaxed. Oliver's heart jumped. "She just gripped my hand!"_

_The paramedic didn't look as excited as he was. "Keep talking. It could mean she's waking up."_

_"Lilly... I really don't know what to say, but you just gripped my hand, and that has to mean something. Um... Miley comes back in two days. You must be excited for that, because I know that you've been talking to her on the phone a lot. So you miss her. If I'm honest, I liked having these two weeks with just you, but I want Miley to come back too. It doesn't feel right without her. Not that it doesn't feel right when I'm with you, because it does. It feels really right. But you've been distant these past few days, and I suppose that's because you miss her, and when you're distant, it feels different. Wow, I feel so stupid sitting here, talking to you. Lilly, you're gonna be okay, and I know you are -" he was cut off by the engine stopping, and the doors being flung open. _

_Lilly was wheeled out of the ambulance, and through the hospital doors, Oliver following. She was taken into a big room, and Oliver was told to wait outside. Any news would be given to him. _

_Helpless, he sat in one of the plastic chairs, holding the pile of stuff that he had grabbed off the beach. _

_He had to tell people. Well, he couldn't just let her mom and dad carry on with their lives while she was here. He fumbled for the cell phone in the pile, hoping he hadn't dropped it. He vaguely remembered wrapping both phones in one of the towels, and so unrolled the bundle. He found Lilly's phone, and scrolled through her contacts. He didn't like doing it; it felt like intruding, but her parents had to know, and this was the only way he could get their number._

_Mom. Dial number. Ringing. _

_"Hello, Lilly? I'm kind of busy right now -"_

_"It's not Lilly, Mrs. Truscott. It's me. Lilly's in the hospital. You have to come. I don't know anything, and they probably won't tell me, y'know, because I'm not family and all," Oliver rattled, not really thinking before he spoke. It' was like his mind had numbed, and he was doing everything that he did subconsciously. _

_There was silence for a second. Then: "The hospital? Oliver, is she alright? What happened? I'm coming!"_

_"She fell off her surfboard, and her head hit a rock. I don't know how, I was underwater, and when I surfaced, she was gone," Oliver explained, the memory haunting him. _

_He could hear Mrs. Truscott moving; leaving the party that she'd planned, and getting into her car. "Oliver, thank you for letting me know. I'll be there in a few minutes, and we'll find out what's going on, okay?"_

_She sounded amazingly calm for someone who'd just been told that their daughter was unconscious. _

_"Do you want me to ring anyone else? I mean, I have her phone, so I can ring Mr. Truscott," Oliver offered, thankful that someone was keeping their head. It didn't look like he was._

_"We'll sort it out in a few minutes Oliver," Mrs. Truscott stated, and he heard the car door slam, before the line was cut. _

_A few minutes. _

_The few minutes felt like hours, but sure enough, within four minutes, Mrs. Truscott was rushing through the doors of ER, and asking the receptionist where her daughter was. _

_"Through those doors, and around the corner," the receptionist answered, in a monotonous voice. She hated working the nightshift, and as a result, wasn't very helpful. But Mrs. Truscott followed her directions, and sighed with relief when she saw Oliver, sitting on the plastic chairs, his swimming trunks dripping onto the floor, and his shirt sticking to his back. _

_"Oliver!" she cried, sitting down next to him and hugging him. "Any news yet?"_

_The boy shook his head. "No. Like I said, they probably won't tell me, because I'm not family."_

_"Stupid rule. You brought her in here; you might have saved her life. If you'd been hurt too... or you hadn't noticed she'd gone under... well, let's not think about that. You saved her, you should be told. And you're practically family anyway." Lilly's mother smiled weakly. _

_A doctor left the room that Lilly had been wheeled into, and Mrs. Truscott stood up. "My daughter?"_

_"Mrs. Truscott?" he asked, just to be sure. _

_Lilly's mother nodded._

_"Your daughter had quite a nasty hit to the head. But, we're not to concerned, because she shows signs of recovery - she's moved a few times, tried to speak; that sort of thing. Right now, she is still unaware of her surroundings, but we hope that in a few hours, she'll have woken up, and we'll be able to see what - if any - damage has been done," the doctor explained. "Right now, we're doing further tests, and when those are complete, you'll be able to see her." Then he smiled, and went back into the ward. _

_"Um... I think I should go and call Miley," Oliver muttered, thankful that they thought she was going to be okay. "Do you want me to call anyone?"_

_Lilly's mother shook her head. "No. I called David when I was in the car. He's going to be as fast as he can."_

_Oliver nodded, and got up, leaving the belongings next to her. _

_"And Oliver?" she called, as he walked down the corridor. He turned and looked at her. "Thank you. So much."_

_He shook his head. "Don't mention it. I didn't really do anything that anyone wouldn't have done."_

_Then he walked out of the hospital, not caring about the weird looks that he was getting. Well, he was dripping water all over the place. _

_Miley. Dial number. Ringing._

_"Hi Oliver!" Miley yelled into the phone; trying to be heard over the party that was raging behind her. After every concert, they had a party. Plus, this was the second-to-last concert. So that was a celebration in itself. _

_"Miley? I need to talk to you about Lilly," Oliver said, hoping that she'd go to a quieter place. _

_She laughed. "You mean she told you? Lilly actually told you that she was helplessly in love with you?"_

_Oliver froze. "What?"_

_"What?" Miley froze too. "Uh... I didn't say that..."_

_"Lilly is helplessly in love with me?" Oliver questioned, and tried to ignore the impulse to dance around the hospital. _

_"Yes. Okay, but don't tell her I told you, please. Because I thought, when you said you needed to talk about Lilly, that you needed to talk about the fact that she had told you... what is it about Lilly?" Miley yelled, still inside the party building. _

_Oliver stopped thinking about dancing, and sighed. "Miley, she's in hospital."_

_"What?" Miley sounded panicked. "What? How? Why? Is she okay? Oh my gosh..."_

_"She hit her head, when we were surfing. It was stupid, because we shouldn't have been surfing at night, but... we did, and she fell, hit her head on a rock, and I had to save her. I've also lost her favourite surfboard, so I'm in trouble over that," Oliver explained. _

_The noise behind Miley stopped. "Oliver, is she okay?"_

_"I don't know. The doctor said it looked good, but... I really don't know," Oliver admitted. _

_"I'm coming," Miley stated._

_Oliver frowned. "What?"_

_"I'm coming. I can't stay here, while Lilly is in hospital!" Miley screeched. "I'm getting Daddy, and then we're coming home. Okay? If you see her, tell her I'll be there as soon as I can be."_

_"Miley, where were you performing tonight?" Oliver asked, wondering how fast she was going to drive to get here. _

_"Phoenix," Miley said. "Why?"_

_So Lilly had been wrong when she'd said Florida. _

_"No reason. Just... hurry. 'Kay?" Oliver said, and then said goodbye and hung up._

_He walked back inside, wondering if any advance had been made. Mrs. Truscott was still sitting on her own, and he sat beside her, trying to process what Miley had just said. _

_Lilly was helplessly in love with him?_

_Since when?_

_"Mrs. Truscott?" he asked, knowing that the only way he was going to get his head around this, was to ask someone. "Did Lilly... like me, like me? It's just, Miley just said..."_

_Mrs. Truscott smiled. "Oliver, Lilly was confused. But yeah, she liked you. She admitted as much herself."_

_"Then why didn't she say anything?" Oliver asked. _

_"Why didn't you?" Mrs. Truscott raised her eyebrows. "Eh? We all could see it. Both of you, liked each other. But neither of you said anything. Why was that?"_

_Oliver shrugged. "I don't know."_

_"Well, you need to decide what you're going to do about it. Because Lilly, being unconscious and all, isn't exactly in a position where she can tell you her feelings," Lilly's mom smiled. _

_The doctor emerged from the ward again, and smiled. "You can see your daughter now," the doctor said, and then looked over at Oliver, who had resumed looking at the floor. _

_Mrs. Truscott followed his gaze. "Can Oliver come in?"_

_The doctor thought for a second. "After you have. Family first. Friends later."_

_"Oliver is practically family anyway!" she insisted, but Oliver shook his head. _

_"No. You go first. I don't mind waiting here."_

_She sighed, but followed the doctor into the ward. _

_She looked so pale, and so delicate. Her arms were covered with wires, feeding drips into her body. But it was Lilly. And she looked no different. Like she was sleeping. _

_Her mother gripped her hand, and hoped that whatever she was dreaming about, it was a nice dream. _

_She let go of her daughter's hand, and looked through the window in the double doors. Oliver should be in here. If anyone could wake Lilly up, it would be Oliver. _

_"Can my daughter and her friend have some time alone?" Mrs. Truscott asked the doctor, and he paused for a second before answering. _

_"I don't see why not."_

_Lilly's mother thanked him, and left the isolated ward, stopping in front of Oliver. "You can go in now."_

_"Thanks," Oliver said, and went into the room. The doctor and nurse left, and Oliver sat down on one of the chairs next to her. _

_It was Lilly lying there. Lilly. His best friend in the whole world was lying there, and she wasn't awake. It took a lot of effort to restrain his want to shake her. Shake her until they both woke up, and found out that it was all some sort of bad, twisted nightmare. _

_If he had never suggested that they go surfing, this would never have happened. If he hadn't driven them to the beach... their beach, this might not have happened. If he hadn't fallen, then this might not have happened. Because something made her lose her concentration. And Oliver had the worst feeling, that it might have been his fall. _

_She might've been making sure that he was okay. _

_He cleared his throat, remembering what the paramedic had said. Talk to her. She might respond. And this time, he had no loss of things to say. _

_"Lilly, I know that there's a huge chance that you might not be able to hear me, but I also know that there's a chance that you can. And I'd rather say all of this, and have you not hear me, than not say it, and you can. Because I'll say this over and over if I have to. Lilly, I love you. At least... I think I do. If loving spending time with you, and thinking about you almost constantly, and everything else... if all that's love, then I must love you. And don't be mad, but both your mom and Miley told me that you did too. I mean, they didn't mean to. Well, your mom did, but she only said because I asked her, and I don't think she wanted to lie. But Miley... she didn't mean to. I rung her, you know, to tell her that you were in hospital, and she mistook it for something else, so she told me. And I had to fight the urge to dance. Seriously. Wow, there would have been a sight. Me, Oliver Oken, dancing around a hospital. It might have created a few more patients, which wouldn't have been good. At all."_

Oliver. Dancing. Hospital?

Splitting headache.

But listen. Someone's speaking to me.

Why can't I open my eyes? They feel really heavy.

"But anyway, Lilly. I don't know if you know that I'm saying all of this, but I just know that I'll repeat it again and again. Even if you don't feel the same way, because I don't think I could love anyone like I love you."

Aaw, Oliver loves me.

Wait. What?

Oliver loves me? He loves me? That's what he just said!

Why won't you open you stupid eyes? Open! Open sesame! Open!

What happened?

Ah. Surfboard. Fell off it. Hit my head on something.

Open you stupid eyes!

"I hope you're okay Lilly. Miley's driving to get here, like a madwoman, so hopefully when you wake up, she'll be here. I know you'll like that."

Ah-ha! Light.

Light. My eyes are burning! Ow, ow, ow!

I turned my head, away from the fluorescent lights that are on the ceiling. Seriously, why have bright lights here? They just cause more pain.

Everything's blurry. But it was definitely Oliver. I don't think he's looking at me though. He's looking at his hands.

"I just wanted you to know. Because your mom told me that while you weren't telling me that you loved me, I wasn't telling you that I loved you. Wow. I doubt that made any sense. Whatever. I really love you Lilly, and I hope you get better, so that I can tell you that when you aren't dead to the world."

"I love you too Ollie," I croaked, and he looked up, surprised.

Wow. Stupid voice. And it hurt to speak. Why, when I'd hit my head, did it hurt to speak?

"Lilly!" he cried, and suddenly everything burst to life. My mom - obviously waiting outside - burst through the doors, and laughed with glee. The doctors rushed in, and started examining my eyes and stuff.

Guess how they did that. Shone stupid lights in them. What is it, with hospitals, and blinding people with bright lights?

But all the while, I was looking at the person sitting next to me.

Oliver.

**I know I said I'd update yesterday, but this chapter took considerably longer to write than I thought. Hopefully it's okay though. This isn't the end though. Just letting you know. **


	14. Our Names In The Sand

**Far from what it was like, when we wrote our names in the sand**

"You've got to be kidding me. A year?" Oliver sounded surprised when I'd related exactly what had been happening behind the scenes for these past few weeks.

I smiled, and shrugged, happy to be sitting up. "That's what I said, but Miley insisted that it was a year, and that we were both immensely stupid."

"Hannah Montana better watch who she's calling stupid," Oliver muttered, and sat back with his arms folded. "And speaking of Hannah Montana..."

A commotion had seemed to erupt outside, and over the top of it, I could hear Robbie Ray telling everyone to get back. "Hannah is here to see a friend who happens to be very close to her. She has no time for interviews, she just wants to see if her friend is okay."

"Uh oh. I caused her identity to be revealed," I turned to Oliver, worried.

He shrugged. "Like you asked to be knocked unconscious by a stupid rock in the sea. Which, by the way, I'm sorry about. Because it was all my idea to go surfing at night..."

"Ollie, it isn't your fault. I stupidly turned to see if you were okay. First rule of surfing. Don't lose concentration," I smiled. It wasn't his fault, and I hated seeing him think that it was.

"It was a perfectly reasonable reason to lose concentration though," he smirked. "I mean you couldn't bear to lose me."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not. How could I live without you?"

"You'd have to kill yourself. Like Juliet."

I laughed. "I think the circumstances were slightly different. But I'd still miss you loads."

Oliver stuck his tongue out at me, and I smiled, knotting my fingers through his, which were on the bed next to me.

"Lilly!" Miley pulled back the curtains, her Hannah wig perched on her head, and grinned. "I am so glad you're okay!"

She ran forward, and flung her arms around me. "I was so worried when Oliver called me, and I found Dad and we got straight in the car and drove all night. I had to see you."

"I'm fine. My head hurts a bit, but the doctors say that should be alright soon," I smiled, and just managed to keep my hand locked in Oliver's. I swear, she threw herself at me with such force.

Miley pulled back, and made sure the curtains were pulled closed, before she wrenched off the wig. "I forgot about the hair."

"You mean to tell me, that you just drove for hours, and didn't have time to take off the wig that protects your other identity?" Oliver queried, and I had to laugh at the expression on his face.

Miley turned to him. "Oliver, I was too worried about my best - " She caught sign of our hands, and stopped, mid-sentence. "What? Lilly! Oliver!"

I smiled, and watched the reaction of joy on her face. "Miley. Simmer."

"Oh my gosh! I'm really glad! Was it because of what I said, Oliver? I didn't mean to do that by the way, Lilly. I just assumed. But, when you assume you make an ass out of you and me, I know. But still, I helped! And I'm really happy for you both! And now we can go on double dates; you guys with me and Jake! Yay!" Miley sounded more excited than me and Oliver put together, and I rolled my eyes.

Obviously Oliver had done the same, because Miley stopped ranting for a second. "Oh my gosh, you even do things simultaneously. You rolled your eyes, and then you rolled yours. How has it taken you this long to do something about this?"

"'Cause we're obviously not as clever as you Miley," I responded, sarcastically. Well, slightly sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes, and sat down on the edge of my bed. "When you gonna be out of here, Lilly?"

"The doctor said later today, hopefully. He says that there shouldn't be any concussion, but if I feel weird at any point, then I'd need to come back in," I answered, and looked over at Oliver, who gripped my hand harder.

Miley sighed. "I guess they'll all know I'm Miley now. I mean, they saw me come in here, and they'll see me go out. Because I'm not leaving here until you are. Maybe they'll have gone by then."

"Miles, does it matter?" I asked. "You have Jake, and us, and a great life. Plus, we need at least one year to rub it in Amber and Ashley's faces!"

She laughed, and rolled her eyes. "Same old Lilly."

"Did you expect anything less?" I stuck my tongue out at her, and she returned it.

"I dunno, I've heard that accidents can change people," Oliver said, and I was reminded of the fourteen-year-old Oliver.

"Yeah, right. No such luck, I'm still Lilly!" I laughed, and punched the air.

"Aww, I was hoping for someone better," Oliver joked, and I punched him lightly on the arm. He clasped it, and made a hurt face.

I rolled my eyes. "You're either weak, or acting. I'd pick the first."

"That's charming Lilly. So charming," Oliver replied sarcastically.

I smiled, and tilted my head. "Well, Charming is my middle name. And you can see why."

"Charming? Last time I checked, it was Rose. Lillian Rose Truscott. Lillian," Oliver teased, knowing how much I hated my full name.

"Oliver! When I'm allowed to stand up, I'm gonna get you!" I threatened.

He pretended to look scared. "I'm frightened. Lillian is threatening me."

Miley had rolled her eyes, and sat back, eyes closed. It was probably the best way to cope with one of me and Oliver's 'verbal fights'.

I guess the accident hadn't changed me much either. And Oliver is always going to be Oliver. But I wouldn't want him to be anyone else.

--

"It's on!" I cried, and Oliver ran into my living room, and jumped over the back of the couch, landing next to me with a bump. "Wow. Impressive."

Miley laughed, and then turned back to the TV. "Oh my God... I can't believe I did this."

"Believe it, girl," Oliver said.

"When we go back to school... nothing will be the same," I said, dramatically, and Miley rolled her eyes. "What? It's totally true."

I turned my attention back to the screen, where a news reporter was thrusting a microphone in front of Hannah Montana's face. Me and Oliver were standing next to her, for moral support.

_"Hannah! Hannah! Who did you come and visit here today?"_

Well duh. Me. The one who looks injured!

_"I came to visit my very good friend, Lilly Truscott. We go to school together," Miley said, and looked over at her two friends, who nodded at her._

_"I thought you got home schooled," another reporter said. _

_Miley took a deep breath, and pulled off her wig, much to the surprise of the paparazzi and interviewers. "Strictly, that's not true. I'm not Hannah Montana. I'm a girl, called Miley Stewart. And I go to a local school. I've been playing out two lives, for the past four years, and I thought enough was enough. I love being Hannah. And I plan to still be Hannah. If the public will let me. I didn't want to be another teenager growing up in the spotlight. So I wasn't. My normal life was very important to me, and I hope the people at school can still treat me as normal. I've been very lucky in having two best friends, who have known about my double life for years, and they've treated me the same. I am the same. I'm just Hannah too. And I don't want to be anyone else. Um... thank you."_

"Woo!" I clapped, and Oliver joined in.

Miley sighed. "I'm gonna miss being Hannah. And have nobody knowing."

"It's going to be hell going outside for a while," Oliver cut in.

"And there aren't going to be many people who'll treat you the same. I mean, Amber and Ashley are going to be kissing up constantly," I added.

"But. I have you guys. And Jake," Miley said, on a happier note.

I nodded, and patted her leg. "You totally do. Me and Oliver are here, whenever - "

"Whenever?" Oliver asked.

I turned to him, and nodded. "Whenever. We're here whenever, and Jake is used to it. You'll always have us, Miles."

She smiled at me. "Thanks. So... what now?"

"Wanna go outside?" Oliver asked. "I mean, you're gonna have to do it at some point, so we might as well get it out of the way."

I nodded. "He's right, you know."

"Okay," Miley took a deep breath, and got up, straightening her skirt. "I'm gonna go call Jake... he only lives up the street, so he might want to join us."

I smiled at her, as she bounded out of the room, and then turned to Oliver. "Well, this wasn't how I expected the holiday to turn."

"It was anything but boring," Oliver agreed. "I mean, just this morning you were coming out of hospital. Don't you feel tired, or anything?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oliver, I'm running on adrenaline! I'm hyper! Plus, I fell into a deep sleep for about an hour. Which counts for a night's sleep. It's you we should be worried about."

"I'm not tired," Oliver stated. "I can go for ages without sleep."

I raised my eyebrows. "'Kay then."

"Where do you want to take Miley and Jake then?" Oliver asked, and I could see the answer forming in his head, as well as mine.

"Beach," we said, simultaneously.

--

And so here we are.

Jake and Miley. Me and Oliver.

Who would've thought it?

"So this is your beach..." Miley sighed, as we sat on the sand.

And it is. It's our beach. And no matter how many people tread on the sand, or wade in the sea, it'll always be our beach. Because we've shared so many things on this beach. Me and Oliver have done so many things on this beach; almost dying being one of them.

"This is our beach," Oliver replied, as we watched the waves. I put my head on his shoulder, and his arm was around my shoulder; sparks and all.

Our beach.

I got up, and pulled Oliver with me. Neither Jake nor Miley looked at us - they were too immersed in their own little world - and I pulled Oliver along the beach a little.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as I crouched down in the sand.

I looked up at him, smiling. "I have a little edit to make."

A smile formed on his face when he saw what I'd written, and when I'd finished, I stood up, and kissed him.

I was kissing Oliver.

Kissing.

Oliver.

One word: wow.

I pulled away, and laughed.

"What was that for?" Oliver raised his eyebrows, smiling.

I shrugged. "Felt like it."

He thought about this for a minute, and then shrugged. "Works for me."

We ran back along the beach toward Miley and Jake, and collapsed down on the sand.

"I can't believe you told everyone," Jake said to Miley. "I mean, I'm glad... but it was big."

"Very big. And nothing is going to be the same," she said.

Okay, now she's just taking words out of my mouth.

"Nothing's gonna be the same ever again!" I cried, determined to be the most dramatic.

Oliver looked at me, and grinned. "But funnily enough, I'm okay with that."

"Me too," Jake agreed, and looked at Miley.

She nodded. "Totally."

After a minute, I realised they were all waiting for me to agree. "Oh! Right. Sorry. Yeah. I'm good with all this changing stuff."

And it all would change.

But right now - right at this second, when I was sitting with my best friends, and Oliver in the sand, watching the world pass by us, I was definitely okay with that.

Change could wait until tomorrow.

--

LILLY AND OLIVER'S BEACH - FOREVER.

**Well, that's it. I really hope you liked it, and if you did, can you leave a review? I may do a sequel, if there's popular demand, but I'm definitely planning to write more Hannah stories. **

**Thanks to all my reviewers - I've read and smiled at them all. And I got way more reviews than I expected to on that last chapter, so thank you! **

**You'll know if there's a sequel.**


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